DEDICATED 

TO    MY    KIND    FRIENDS 

MISS    MACKIE    AND    MISS    MASTERS 

IN  WHOSE  SCHOOLS  MY  LECTURES  WERE  FIRST  GIVEN 


MYTHS  OF  GREECE  AND  ROME 


NARRATED  WITH  SPECIAL  REFERENCE  TO 
LITERATURE  AND  ART 


BY 

H.  A.  GUERBER 

LECTURER  ON  MYTHOLOGY 


NEW  YORK  • :  •  CINCINNATI  • :  •  CHICAGO 

AMERICAN    BOOK    COMPANY 
1893 


Copyright,  1893,  by 
AMERICAN  BOOK  COMPANY. 

CLASS.  MYTHS. 


PREFACE. 


THE  aim  of  this  book  is  to  present  a  complete  and  entertain- 
ing account  of  Grecian  and  Roman  mythology  in  such  a 
manner  that  the  student  will  appreciate  its  great  influence  upon 
literature  and  art. 

These  myths,  an  inexhaustible  fund  of  inspiration  for  the  poets 
and  artists  of  the  past,  have  also  inspired  many  noted  modern 
works.  The  better  to  impress  this  fact  upon  the  student,  appropri- 
ate quotations  from  the  poetical  writings  of  all  ages,  from  Hesiod's 
"  Works  and  Days,"  to  Tennyson's  "  CEnone,"  have  been  inserted 
in  the  text,  while  reproductions  of  ancient  masterpieces  and 
noted  examples  of  modern  painting  and  sculpture  are  plentifully 
used  as  illustrations. 

The  myths  are  told  as  graphically  and  accurately  as  possible, 
great  care  being  taken,  however,  to  avoid  the  more  repulsive 
features  of  heathen  mythology ;  and  when  two  or  more  versions 
of  the  same  myth  occur,  the  preference  has  invariably  been  given 
to  the  most  popular,  that  is  to  say,  to  the  one  which  has  inspired 
the  greatest  works. 

Both  the  Latin  and  the  Greek  forms  of  proper  names  are  given, 
but  the  Latin  names  are  usually  retained  throughout  the  narrative, 
because  more  frequently  used  in  poetry  and  art. 

5 


6  PREFACE. 

The  closing  chapter  includes  an  analysis  of  myths  by  the  light 
of  philology  and  comparative  mythology,  and  the  philological 
explanation  of  the  stories  related  in  the  preceding  chapters. 

A  map,  genealogical  table,  and  complete  glossary  and  index 
adapt  this  little  volume  for  constant  use  in  the  library  and  art 
gallery,  at  home  and  abroad. 


CONTENTS. 


PAGE 

MAP  SHOWING  LOCATION  OF  MYTHS          ....  8 

LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 10 

CHAP.  I.  THE  BEGINNING  OK  ALL  THINGS 11 

II.  JUPITER       .........  39 

III.  JUNO 51 

IV.  MINERVA 55 

V.  APOLLO 61 

VI.  DIANA 93 

VII.  VENUS 103 

VIII.   MERCUUY 131 

IX.    MARS 138 

X.  VULCAN 144 

XI.  NEPTUNK 149 

XII.  PLUTO 159 

XIII.  BACCHUS .         .         -171 

XIV.  CERES  AND  PROSERPINA 183 

XV.  VESTA 198 

XVI.  JANUS 205 

XVII.     SOMNUS    AND    MoRS              .......  2O8 

XVIII.   .-KOLUS          .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .  213 

XIX.   HERCULES 216 

XX.  PERSEUS 240 

XXI.   THESEU> 250 

XXII.  JASON 263 

XXIII.  THE  CALYDONIAN  HUM 275 

XXIV.  (.EDIPUS 280 

XXV.   BELI.EROPHON 291 

XXVI.   MINOR  DIVINITIES       .......  297 

XXVII.  THE  TROJAN  WAR 305 

XXVIII.   ADVENTURES  OF  ULYSSES 337 

XXIX.   ADVENTURES  OF  ./ENEAS 360 

XXX.   ANALYSIS  OF  MYTHS   .         .         .         .         .         .         .  378 

GENEALOGICAL  TABLE     ........  402 

INDEX  TO  POETICAL  QUOTATIONS 405 

GLOSSARY  AND  INDEX 407 


LIST.  OF    ILLUSTRATIONS. 


Council  of  the  Gods 

Amor     

Fountain  of  Cybele  (Rhea) 

Minerva  and  Prometheus 

Pandora 

Hope 

Olympian  Zeus 

Ganymede  and  the  Eagle 

The  Abduction  of  Europa    

Juno 

Iris 

Minerva 

Apollo  Belvedere       

Apollo  and  Daphne 

Orpheus  and  Eurydice  . 

Farnese  Bull 

Aurora 

Apollo  and  the  Muses 

Diana  of  Versailles   

Niobe 

Triumph  of  Venus 

Fourth  Hour  of  the  Night 

Sleeping  Love 

Hero  and  Leander 

Cupid  and  Psyche 

Venus  de  Milo 

Flying   Mercury 

Venus  de  Milo  and  Mars 

Vulcan  forging  Arrows  for  Cupid 

Fountain  of  Neptune 

Father  Nile 

Charon  and  Psyche 

The  Three  Fates 

Youth  of  Bacchus 

Ariadne 

Abduction  of  Proserpina 
Ceres  .  . 


A  Nymph 191 

School  of  the  Vestal  Virgins  ....  199 

The  Vestal  Tuccia 201 

Genius  of  Death 209 

Hercules  an  Infant 217 

Hercules  and  Centaur 222 

Mounted  Amazon  going  to  the 

Chase 225 

Hercules  at  the  Feet  of  Omphale,  231 

Fortuna 233 

Hercules  and  Lichas 237 

Perseus 245 

Perseus  and  Andromeda 247 

Dtedalus  and  Icarus 254 

Ariadne 258 

Theseus 261 

Jason  and  the  Dragon 270 

Medea 272 

Atalanta's  Race 277 

CEdipus  and  the  Sphinx 284 

Antigone  and  Ismene 289 

Chimsera 293 

Psyche  and  Pan 302 

Venus  with  the  Apple 309 

Abduction  of  Helen 313 

Parting  of  Hector  and  Androm- 
ache    322 

Thetis    bearing    the    Armor    of 

Achilles 327 

Laocoon    334 

Triumph  of  Galatea 340 

Polyphemus,  Acis,  and  Galatea .  .  342 


MYTHS   OF   GREECE    AND   ROME. 


CHAPTER  I. 

THE    BEGINNING    OF    ALL    THINGS. 

MYTHOLOGY  is  the  science  which  treats  of  the  early  tradi- 
tions, or  myths,  relating  to  the  religion  of  the  ancients,  and 
includes,  besides  a  full  account  of  the  origin  of  their  gods,  their 
theory  concerning  the  beginning  of  all  things. 

Among  all  the  nations  scattered  over  the  face  of  the  earth,  the 
Hebrews  alone  were  instructed  by  God,  who  gave  them  not  only 
a  full  account  of  the  creation  of  the  world  and  of       Myths  of 
all  living  creatures,  but  also  a  code  of  laws  to  reg-        creation, 
ulate  their  conduct.     All  the  questions  they  fain  would  ask.  were 
fully  answered,  and  no  room  remained  for  conjecture. 

It  was  not  so,  however,  with  the  other  nations.  The  Greeks 
and  Romans,  for  instance,  lacking  the  definite  knowledge  which 
we  obtain  from  the  Scriptures,  and  still  anxious  to  know  every- 
thing, were  forced  to  invent,  in  part,  their  own  theory.  As  they 
looked  about  them  for  some  clew  to  serve  as  guide,  they  could 
not  help  but  observe  and  admire  the  wonders  of  nature.  The  suc- 
cession of  day  and  night,  summer  and  winter,  rain  and  sunshine ; 

ii 


12  CLASSICAL    MYTHS. 

the  fact  that  the  tallest  trees  sprang  from  tiny  seeds,  the  greatest 
rivers  from  diminutive  streams,  and  the  most  beautiful  flowers 
and  delicious  fruits  from  small  green  buds, —  all  seemed  to  tell 
them  of  a  superior  Being,  who  had  fashioned  them  to  serve  a 
definite  purpose. 

They  soon  came  to  the  conclusion  that  a  hand  mighty  enough 
to  call  all  these  wonders  into  life,  could  also  have  created  the 
beautiful  Earth  whereon  they  dwelt.  These  thoughts  gave  rise 
to  others ;  suppositions  became  certainties ;  and  soon  the  fol- 
lowing myth  or  fable  was  evolved,  to  be  handed  down  from 
generation  to  generation. 

At  first,  when  all  things  lay  in  a  great  confused  mass, — 

"  Ere  earth,  and  sea,  and  covering  heavens,  were  known, 
The  face  of  nature,  o'er  the  world,  was  one ; 
And  men  have  call'd  it  Chaos ;  formless,  rude, 
The  mass;  dead  matter's  weight,  inert,  and  crude; 
Where,  in  mix'd  heap  of  ill-compounded  mold, 
The  jarring  seeds  of  things  confusedly  roll'd." 

OVID  (Elton's  tr.). 

The  Earth  did  not  exist.  Land,  sea,  and  air  were  mixed  up 
together ;  so  that  the  earth  was  not  solid,  the  sea  was  not  fluid, 
nor  the  air  transparent. 

"  No  sun  yet  beam'd  from  yon  cerulean  height ; 
No  orbing  moon  repair'd  her  horns  of  light; 
No  earth,  self-poised,  on  liquid  ether  hung; 
No  sea  its  world-enclasping  waters  flung; 
Earth  was  half  air,  half  sea,  an  embryo  heap; 
Nor  earth  was  fix'd,  nor  fluid  was  the  deep ; 
Dark  was  the  void  of  air ;  no  form  was  traced ; 
Obstructing  atoms  struggled  through  the  waste; 
Where  cold,  and  hot,  and  moist,  and  dry  rebell'd ; 
Heavy  the  light,  and  hard  the  soft  repell'd." 

OVID  (Elton's  tr.). 

Over  this  shapeless  mass  reigned  a  careless  deity  called  Chaos, 
whose  personal  appearance  could  not  be  described,  as  there  was 


THE   BEGIXXJXG    Of  ALL    THINGS.  13 

no  light  by   which  he   could  be  seen.     He  shared   his  throne 
with  his  wife,  the  dark  goddess  of  Night,  named       chaos  and 
Nyx  or  Nox,  whose  black  robes,  and  still  blacker  Nyx- 

countenance,  did  not  tend  to  illuminate  the  surrounding  gloom. 

These  two  divinities  wearied  of  their  power  in  the  course  of 
time,  and  called  their  son  Erebus  (Darkness)  to  their  assistance. 
His  first  act  was  to  dethrone  and  supplant  Chaos ;  Erebus,  aether, 
and  then,  thinking  he  would  be  happier  with  a  and  Hemera- 
helpmeet,  he  married  his  own  mother,  Nyx.  Of  course,  with 
our  present  views,  this  marriage  was  a  heinous  sin ;  but  the  an- 
cients, who  at  first  had  no  fixed  laws,  did  not  consider  this  union 
unsuitable,  and  recounted  how  Erebus  and  Nyx  ruled  over  the 
chaotic  world  together,  until  their  two  beautiful  children,  y£ther 
(Light)  and  Hemera  (Day),  acting  in  concert,  dethroned  them, 
and  seized  the  supreme  power. 

Space,  illumined  for  the  first  time  by  their  radiance,  revealed 
itself  in  all  its  uncouthness.  ^Ether  and  Hemera  carefully  ex- 
amined the  confusion,  saw  its  innumerable  possi-  creation  of  Gcea 
bilities,  and  decided  to  evolve  from  it  a  "  thing  of  and  Uranus- 
beauty  ;"  but  quite  conscious  of  the  magnitude  of  such  an  under- 
taking, and  feeling  that  some  assistance  would  be  desirable,  they 
summoned  Eros  (Amor  or  Love),  their  own  child,  to  their  aid. 
By  their  combined  efforts,  Pontus  (the  Sea)  and  Gaea  (Ge,  Tel- 
lus,  Terra),  as  the  Earth  was  first  called,  were  created. 

In  the  beginning  the  Earth  did  not  present  the  beautiful  ap- 
pearance that  it  does  now.  No  trees  waved  their  leafy  branches 
on  the  hillsides ;  no  flowers  bloomed  in  the  valleys ;  no  grass 
grew  on  the  plains  ;  no  birds  flew  through  the  air.  All  was  silent, 
bare,  and  motionless.  Eros,  the  first  to  perceive  these  deficien- 
cies, seized  his  life-giving  arrows  and  pierced  the  cold  bosom 
of  the  Earth.  Immediately  the  brown  surface  was  covered  with 
luxuriant  verdure  ;  birds  of  many  colors  flitted  through  the  foli- 
age of  the  new-born  forest  trees ;  animals  of  all  kinds  gamboled 
over  the  grassy  plains ;  and  swift-darting  fishes  swam  in  the  lim- 
pid streams.  All  was  now  life,  joy,  and  motion. 


AMOR.— Martin. 


THE   BEG  I. \.\IXG    OF  ALL    THINGS.  15 

Gaea,  roused  from  her  apathy,  admired  all  that  had  already 
been  done  for  her  embellishment,  and,  resolving  to  crown  and 
complete  the  work  so  well  begun,  created  Uranus  (Heaven). 

"Her  first-bom  Earth  produc'd, 
Of  like  immensity,  the  starry  Heaven: 
That  he  might  sheltering  compass  her  around 
On  every  side." 

HESIOD  (Elton's  tr.). 

This  version  of  the  creation  *of  the  world,  although  but  one 
of  the  many  current  with  the  Greeks  and  Romans,  was  the  one 
most  generally  adopted ;  but  another,  also  very 

'  ',      The  egg  myth. 

popular,  stated  that  the  first  divinities,  Erebus  and 

Xyx,  produced  a  gigantic  egg,  from  which  Eros,  the  god  of  love, 

emerged  to  create  the  Earth. 

"  In  the  dreary  chaotical  closet 
Of  Erebus  old,  was  a  privy  deposit, 
By  Night  the  primaeval  in  secrecy  laid ; 
A  Mystical  Egg,  that  in  silence  and  shade 
Was  brooded  and  hatched  ;   till  time  came  about : 
And  Love,  the  delightful,  in  glory  flew  out." 

ARISTOPHANES  (Frere's  tr.). 

The  Earth  thus  created  was  supposed  by  the  ancients  to  be 
a  disk,  instead  of  a  sphere  as  science  has  proved.  The  Greeks 
fancied  that  their  country  occupied  a  central  posi- 

Mount  Olympus 

tion,  and  that  Mount  Olympus,  a  very  high  moun-  and  the  river 
tain,  the  mythological  abode  of  their  gods,  was 
placed  in  the  exact  center.  Their  Earth  was  divided  into  two 
equal  parts  by  Pontus  (the  Sea, —  equivalent  to  our  Mediter- 
ranean and  Black  Seas) ;  and  all  around  it  flowed  the  great 
river  Oceanus  in  a  "steady,  equable  current,"  undisturbed  by 
storm,  from  which  the  Sea  and  all  the  rivers  were  supposed  to 
derive  their  waters. 

The  Greeks  also  imagined  that  the  portion  of  the  Earth  directly 
north  of  their  country  was  inhabited  by  a  fortunate  race  of  men, 


1 6  CLASSICAL  MYTHS. 

the  Hyperboreans,  who  dwelt  in  continual  bliss,  arid  enjoyed  a 
never-ending  springtide.     Their  homes  were  said  to  be  "  inacces- 
TheHyperbo-    sible  by  land  or  by  sea."     They  were   "exempt 
reans.          from  disease,  old  age,  and  death,"  and  were  so 
virtuous  that  the  gods  frequently  visited  them,  and  even  conde- 
scended to  share  their  feasts  and  games.     A  people  thus  favored 
could  not  fail  to  be  happy,  and  many  were  the  songs  in  praise  of 
their  sunny  land. 

"  I  come  from  a  land  in  the  sun-bright  deep, 

Where  golden  gardens  grow ; 
Where  the  winds  of  the  north,  becalm'd  in  sleep, 
Their  conch  shells  never  blow. 

"  So  near  the  track  of  the  stars  are  we, 
That  oft,  on  night's  pale  beams, 
The  distant  sounds  of  their  harmony 
Come  to  our  ears,  like  dreams. 

"The  Moon,  too,  brings  her  world  so  nigh, 

That  when  the  night-seer  looks 
To  that  shadowless  orb,  in  a  vernal  sky, 
He  can  number  its  hills  and  brooks. 

"To  the  Sun  god  all  our  hearts  and  lyres 

By  day,  by  night,  belong ; 
And  the  breath  we  draw  from  his  living  fires 

We  give  him  back  in  song." 

MOORE. 

South  of  Greece,  also  near  the  great  river  Oceanus,  dwelt  an- 
other nation,  just  as  happy  and  virtuous  as  the  Hyperboreans, — 
the    Ethiopians.      They,   too,   often   enjoyed  the 

The  Ethiopians 

and  the  isles  company  of  the  gods,  who  shared  their  innocent 

of  the  Blest.  .  .  .  ,   ,.    . 

pleasures  with  great  delight. 

And  far  away,  on  the  shore  of  this  same  marvelous  river,  ac- 
cording to  some  mythologists,  were  the  beautiful  Isles  of  the 
Blest,  where  mortals  who  had  led  virtuous  lives,  and  had  thus 
found  favor  in  the  sight  of  the  gods,  were  transported  without 


THE  BEGINNING   OF  ALL    THINGS.  17 

tasting  of  death,  and  where  they  enjoyed  an  eternity  of  bliss. 
These  islands  had  sun,  moon,  and  stars  of  their  own,  and  were 
never  visited  by  the  cold  wintry  winds  that  swept  down  from  the 
north. 

'•'  The  Isles  of  the  Blest,  they  say, 

The  Isles  of  the  Blest, 

Are  peaceful  and  happy,  by  night  and  by  day, 
Far  away  in  the  glorious  west. 

"  They  need  not  the  moon  in  that  land  of  delight, 

They  need  not  the  pale,  pale  star ; 

The  sun  is  bright,  by  day  and  night, 

Where  the  souls  of  the  blessed  are. 

"  They  till  not  the  ground,  they  plow  not  the  wave, 

They  labor  not,  never  !  oh,  never ! 
Not  a  tear  do  they  shed,  not  a  sigh  do  they  heave, 
They  are  happy,  for  ever  and  ever  !  " 

PINDAR. 

Chaos,  Erebus,  and   Nyx  were  deprived  of   their  power  by 
yEther  and  Hemera,  who  did  not  long  enjoy  the  possession  of 
the  scepter ;   for  Uranus  and  Gaea,  more  powerful      Uranus  and 
than  their  progenitors,  soon  forced  them  to  depart,  Gaea< 

and  began  to  reign  in  their  stead.  They  had  not  dwelt  long  on 
the  summit  of  Mount  Olympus,  before  they  found  themselves  the 
parents  of  twelve  gigantic  children,  the  Titans,  whose  strength 
was  such  that  their  father,  Uranus,  greatly  feared  them.  To  pre- 
vent their  ever  making  use  of  it  against  him,  he  seized  them  im- 
mediately after  their  birth,  hurled  them  down  into  a  dark  abyss 
called  Tartarus,  and  there  chained  them  fast. 

This  chasm  was  situated  far  under  the  earth ;  and  Uranus 
knew  that  his  six  sons  (Oceanus,  Coeus,  Crius,  Hyperion,  lap- 
etus,  and  Cronus),  as  well  as  his  six  daughters,  , 

'    Titans,      Cyclo- 

theTitanides  (Ilia,  Rhea,  Themis,  Thetis,  Mnemos-     pes,  and  Cen- 
yne,  and  Phoebe),  could  not  easily  escape  from  its 
cavernous  depths.     The  Titans  did  not  long  remain  sole  occu- 
pants of  Tartarus,  for  one  day  the  brazen  doors  were  again 


1 8  CLASSICAL  MYTHS. 

thrown  wide  open  to  admit  the  Cyclopes, —  Brontes  (Thunder), 
Steropes  (Lightning),  and  Arges  (Sheet-lightning),  —  three  later- 
born  children  of  Uranus  and  Gaea,  who  helped  the  Titans  to 
make  the  darkness  hideous  with  their  incessant  clamor  for  free- 
dom. In  due  time  their  number  was  increased  by  the  three  ter- 
rible Centirrjani  (Hundred-handed),  Cottus,  Briareus,  and  Gyes, 
who  were  sent  thither  by  Uranus  to  share  their  fate. 

Greatly  dissatisfied  with  the  treatment  her  children  had  re- 
ceived at  their  father's  hands,  Gaea  remonstrated,  but  all  in  vain. 
Uranus  would  not  grant  her  request  to  set  the  giants  free,  and, 
whenever  their  muffled  cries  reached  his  ear,  he  trembled  for  his 
own  safety.  Angry  beyond  all  expression,  Gaea  swore  revenge, 
and  descended  into  Tartarus,  where  she  urged  the  Titans  to  con- 
spire against  their  father,  and  attempt  to  wrest  the  scepter  from 
his  grasp. 

All  listened  attentively  to  the  words  of  sedition  ;  but  none  were 
courageous  enough  to  carry  out  her  plans,  except  Cronus,  the 

The  Titans  youngest  of  the  Titans,  more  familiarly  known  as 
revolt.  Saturn  or  Time,  who  found  confinement  and  chains 
peculiarly  galling,  and  who  hated  his  father  for  his  cruelty.  Gaea 
finally  induced  him  to  lay  violent  hands  upon  his  sire,  and,  after 
releasing  him  from  his  bonds,  gave  him  a  scythe,  and  bade  him 
be  of  good  cheer  and  return  victorious. 

Thus  armed  and  admonished,  Cronus  set  forth,  came  upon  his 
father  unawares,  defeated  him,  thanks  to  his  extraordinary  weap- 
on, and,  after  binding  him  fast,  took  possession  of  the  vacant 
throne,  intending  to  rule  the  universe  forever.  Enraged  at  this 
insult,  Uranus  cursed  his  son,  and  prophesied  that  a  day  would 
come  when  he,  too,  would  be  supplanted  by  his  children,  and 
would  suffer  just  punishment  for  his  impudence. 

Cronus  paid  no  heed  to  his  father's  imprecations,  but  calmly 
proceeded  to  release  the  Titans,  his  brothers  and  sisters,  who,  in 
their  joy  and  gratitude  to  escape  the  dismal  realm  of  Tartarus, 
expressed  their  willingness  to  be  ruled  by  him.  Their  satisfac- 
tion was  complete,  however,  when  he  chose  his  own  sister  Rhea 


(19) 


20  CLASSICAL  MYTHS. 

(Cybele,  Ops)  for  his  consort,  and  assigned  to  each  of  the  others 
some  portion  of  the  world  to  govern  at  will.  To  Oceanus  and 

Cronus  and      Thetis,  for  example,  he  gave  charge  over  the  ocean 

Rhea.          an(j  a\\  the  rivers  upon  earth ;   while  to  Hyperion 

and  Phoebe  he  intrusted  the  direction  of  the  sun  and  moon,  which 

the  ancients  supposed  were  daily  driven  across  the  sky  in  brilliant 

golden  chariots. 

Peace  and  security  now  reigned  on  and  around  Mount  Olym- 
pus ;  and  Cronus,  with  great  satisfaction,  congratulated  himself 
on  the  result  of  his  enterprise.  One  fine  morning,  however,  his 
equanimity  was  disturbed  by  the  announcement  that  a  son  was 
born  to  him.  The  memory  of  his  father's  curse  then  suddenly  re- 
turned to  his  mind.  Anxious  to  avert  so  great  a  calamity  as  the 
loss  of  his  power,  he  hastened  to  his  wife,  determined  to  devour 
the  child,  and  thus  prevent  him  from  causing  further  annoyance. 
Wholly  unsuspicious,  Rhea  heard  him  inquire  for  his  son.  Gladly 
she  placed  him  in  his  extended  arms ;  but  imagine  her  surprise 
and  horror  when  she  beheld  her  husband  swallow  the  babe ! 

Time  passed,  and  another  child  was  born,  but  only  to  meet 

with  the  same  cruel  fate.     One  infant  after  another  disappeared 

Birth          down  the  capacious  throat  of  the  voracious  Cro- 

of  Jupiter.  nus^ —  a  personification  of  Time,  who  creates  only 
to  destroy.  In  vain  the  bereaved  mother  besought  the  life  of 
one  little  one :  the  selfish,  hard-hearted  father  would  not  relent. 
As  her  prayers  seemed  unavailing,  Rhea  finally  resolved  to  obtain 
by  stratagem  the  boon  her  husband  denied ;  and  as  soon  as  her 
youngest  son,  Jupiter  (Jove,  Zeus),  was  born,  she  concealed  him. 

Cronus,  aware  of  his  birth,  soon  made  his  appearance,  deter- 
mined to  dispose  of  him  in  the  usual  summary  manner.  For 
some  time  Rhea  pleaded  with  him,  but  at  last  pretended  to  yield 
to  his  commands.  Hastily  wrapping  a  large  stone  in  swaddling 
clothes,  she  handed  it  to  Cronus,  simulating  intense  grief.  Cro- 
nus was  evidently  not  of  a  very  inquiring  turn  of  mind,  for  he 
swallowed  the  whole  without  investigating  the  real  contents  of 
the  shapeless  bundle. 


THE  BEGINNING   OF  ALL    THIXGS.  21 

"  To  th'  imperial  son  of  Heaven, 
Whilom  the  king  of  gods,  a  stone  she  gave 
Imvrapt  in  infant  swathes;  and  this  with  grasp 
Eager  he  snatch'd,  and  in  his  ravening  breast 
Convey'd  away :  unhappy  !  nor  once  thought 
That  for  the  stone  his  child  behind  remain'd 
Invincible,  secure;   who  soon,  with  hands 
Of  strength  o'ercoming  him,  should  cast  him  forth 
From  glory,  and  himself  th'  immortals  rule." 

HESIOD  (Elton's  tr.). 

Ignorant  of  the  deception  practiced  upon  him,  Cronus  then 
took  leave,  and  the  overjoyed  mother  clasped  her  rescued  treas- 
ure to  her  breast.  It  was  not  sufficient,  however,  to  have  saved 
young  Jupiter  from  imminent  death :  it  was  also  necessary  that 
his  father  should  remain  unconscious  of  his  existence. 

To  insure  this,  Rhea  intrusted  her  babe  to  the  tender  care  of 
the  Melian  nymphs,  who  bore  him  off  to  a  cave  on  Mount  Ida. 
There  a  goat,  Amalthea,  was  procured  to  act  as        Jupiter's 
nurse,  and  fulfilled  her  office  so  acceptably  that        infancy. 
she  was  eventually  placed  in  the  heavens  as  a  constellation,  a 
brilliant  reward  for  her  kind  ministrations.     To  prevent  Jupiter's 
cries  being  heard  in  Olympus,  the  Curetes  (Corybantes),  Rhea's 
priests,  uttered  piercing  screams,  clashed  their  weapons,  executed 
fierce  dances,  and  chanted  rude  war  songs. 

The  real  significance  of  all  this  unwonted  noise  and  commo- 
tion was  not  at  all  understood  by  Cronus,  who,  in  the  intervals 
of  his  numerous  affairs,  congratulated  himself  upon  the  cunning 
he  had  shown  to  prevent  the  accomplishment  of  his  father's  curse. 
But  all  his  anxiety  and  fears  were  aroused  when  he  suddenly 
became  aware  of  the  fraud  practiced  upon  him,  and  of  young 
Jupiter's  continued  existence.  He  immediately  tried  to  devise 
some  plan  to  get  rid  of  him ;  but,  before  he  could  put  it  into 
execution,  he  found  himself  attacked,  and,  after  a  short  but 
terrible  encounter,  signally  defeated. 

Jupiter,  delighted  to  have  triumphed  so  quickly,  took  possession 


22  CLASSICAL   MYTHS. 

of  the  supreme  power,  and  aided  by  Rhea's  counsels,  and  by 
a  nauseous  potion  prepared  by  Metis,  a  daughter  of  Oceanus, 
Jupiter's        compelled  Cronus  to  produce  the  unfortunate  chil- 
supremacy.     ^ren  he  had  swallowed ;  i.e.,  Neptune,  Pluto,  Ves- 
ta, Ceres,  and  Juno. 

Following  the  example  of  his  predecessor,  Jupiter  gave  his 
brothers  and  sisters  a  fair  share  of  his  new  kingdom.  The  wis- 
est among  the  Titans — Mnemosyne,  Themis,  Oceanus,  and  Hy- 
perion—  submitted  to  the  new  sovereign  without  murmur,  but 
the  others  refused  their  allegiance ;  which  refusal,  of  course,  occa- 
sioned a  deadly  conflict. 

"  When  gods  began  with  wrath, 
And  war  rose  up  between  their  starry  brows, 
Some  choosing  to  cast  Cronus  from  his  throne 
That  Zeus  might  king  it  there,  and  some  in  haste 
With  opposite  oaths  that  they  would  have  no  Zeus 
To  rule  the  gods  forever." 

E.  B.  BROWNING. 

Jupiter,  from  the  top  of  Mount  Olympus,  discerned  the  superior 
number  of  his  foes,  and,  quite  aware  of  their  might,  concluded 

The  giants'  that  reenforccments  to  his  party  would  not  be  su- 
perfluous. In  haste,  therefore,  he  released  the  Cy- 
clopes from  Tartarus,  where  they  had  languished  so  long,  stipu- 
lating that  in  exchange  for  their  freedom  they  should  supply  him 
with  thunderbolts,  —  weapons  which  only  they  knew  how  to 
forge.  This  new  engine  caused  great  terror  and  dismay  in  the 
ranks  of  the  enemy,  who,  nevertheless,  soon  rallied,  and  struggled 
valiantly  to  overthrow  the  usurper  and  win  back  the  sovereignty 
of  the  world. 

During  ten  long  years  the  war  raged  incessantly,  neither  party 
wishing  to  submit  to  the  dominion  of  the  other,  but  at  the  end 
of  that  time  the  rebellious  Titans  were  obliged  to  yield.  Some 
of  them  were  hurled  into  Tartarus  once  more,  where  they  were 
carefully  secured  by  Neptune,  Jupiter's  brother,  while  the  young 
conqueror  joyfully  proclaimed  his  victory. 


THE   BEGINNING    OF  ALL    THINGS.  23 

*'  League  all  yt>ur  forces  then,  ye  powers  above, 
Join  all,  and  try  th'  omnipotence  of  Jove: 
Let  down  our  golden  everlasting  chain, 
Whose  strong  embrace  holds  heaven  and  earth  and  main  : 
Strive  all,  of  mortal  and  immortal  birth, 
To  drag,  by  this,  the  Thunderer  down  to  earth, 
Ye  strive  in  vain  !  if  I  but  stretch  this  hand, 
I  heave  the  gods,  the  ocean,  and  the  land; 
I  fix  the  chain  to  great  Olympus'  height, 
And  the  vast  world  hangs  trembling  in  my  sight ! 
For  such  I  reign,  unbounded  and  above ; 
And  such  are  men  and  gods,  compar'd  to  Jove." 

HOMER  (Pope's  tr.). 

The  scene  of  this  mighty  conflict  was  supposed  to  have  been 
in  Thessaly,  where  the  country  bears  the  imprint  of  some  great 
natural  convulsion ;  for  the  ancients  imagined  that  the  gods, 
making  the  most  of  their  gigantic  strength  and  stature,  hurled 
huge  rocks  at  each  other,  and  piled  mountain  upon  mountain  to 
reach  the  abode  of  Jupiter,  the  Thunderer. 

"Mountain  on  mountain,  as  the  Titans  erst, 
My  brethren,  scaling  the  high  seat  of  Jove, 
Heaved  Pelion  upon  Ossa's  shoulders  broad 
In  vain  emprise." 

LOWELL. 

Saturn,  or  Cronus,  the  leader  and  instigator  of  the  revolt, 
weary  at  last  of  bloodshed  and  strife,  withdrew  to  Italy,  or  Hes- 
peria,  where  he  founded  a  prosperous  kingdom,  and  reigned  in 
peace  for  many  long  years. 

Jupiter,  having  disposed   of  all  the  Titans,  now  fancied  he 
would  enjoy  the  power  so  unlawfully  obtained  ;  but  Gaea,  to  pun- 
ish him  for  depriving  her  children  of  their  birth-          Death 
right,  created  a  terrible  monster,  called  Typhceus,     of  Typhoeus. 
or  Typhon,  which  she  sent  to  attack  him.     This  Typhceus  was  a 
giant,  from  whose  trunk  one  hundred  dragon  heads  arose  ;  flames 
shot  from  his  eyes,  nostrils,  and  mouths;   while  he  incessantly 
uttered  such  blood-curdling  screams,  that  the  gods,  in  terror,  fled 


24  CLASSICAL  MYTHS. 

from  Mount  Olympus  and  sought  refuge  in  Egypt.  In  mortal 
fear  lest  this  terror-inspiring  monster  would  pursue  them,  the 
gods  there  assumed  the  forms  of  different  animals ;  and  Jupiter 
became  a  ram,  while  Juno,  his  sister  and  queen,  changed  herself 
into  a  cow. 

The  king  of  the  gods,  however,  soon  became  ashamed  of  his 
cowardly  flight,  and  resolved  to  return  to  Mount  Olympus  to  slay 
Typhoeus  with  his  terrible  thunderbolts.  A  long  and  fierce  strug- 
gle ensued,  at  the  end  of  which,  Jupiter,  again  victorious,  viewed 
his  fallen  foe  with  boundless  pride ;  but  his  triumph  was  very 
short-lived. 

Enceladus,  another  redoubtable  giant,  also  created  by  Gaea, 
now  appeared  to  avenge  Typhceus.  He  too  was  signally  de- 
Defeat  of  feated,  and  bound  with  adamantine  chains  in  a 
Enceladus.  burning  cave  under  Mount  ./Etna.  In  early  times, 
before  he  had  become  accustomed  to  his  prison,  he  gave  vent  to 
his  rage  by  outcries,  imprecations,  and  groans :  sometimes  he 
even  breathed  forth  fire  and  flames,  in  hopes  of  injuring  his  con- 
queror. But  time,  it  is  said,  somewhat  cooled  his  resentment ; 
and  now  he  is  content  with  an  occasional  change  of  position, 
which,  owing  to  his  huge  size,  causes  the  earth  to  tremble  over  a 
space  of  many  miles,  producing  what  is  called  an  earthquake. 

"  'Tis  said,  that  thunder-struck  Enceladus, 
Groveling  beneath  the  incumbent  mountain's  weight, 
Lies  stretched  supine,  eternal  prey  of  flames; 
And,  when  he  heaves  against  the  burning  load, 
Reluctant,  to  invert  his  broiling  limbs, 
A  sudden  earthquake  shoots  through  all  the  isle, 
And  ALtna.  thunders  dreadful  under  ground, 
Then  pours  out  smoke  in  wreathing  curls  convolved, 
And  shades  the  sun's  bright  orb,  and  blots  out  day." 

ADDISON. 

Jupiter  had  now  conquered  all  his  foes,  asserted  his  right  to 
the  throne,  and  could  at  last  reign  over  the  world  undisturbed ; 
but  he  knew  that  it  would  be  no  small  undertaking  to  rule  well 


THE  BEGINNING    OF  ALL    THINGS.  25 

heaven,  earth,  and  sea,  and  resolved  to  divide  the  power  with 
his  brothers.     To  avoid   quarrels  and  recrimina-    jupiter  divides 
tions,  he  portioned  the  world  out  into  lots,  allow-  •     hls  realm- 
ing  each  of  his  brothers  the  privilege  of  drawing  his  own  share. 

Neptune  thus  obtained  control  over  the  sea  and  all  the  rivers, 
and  immediately  expressed  his  resolve  to  wear  a  symbolic  crown, 
composed  exclusively  of  marine  shells  and  aquatic  plants,  and  to 
abide  within  the  bounds  of  his  watery  realm. 

Pluto,  the  most  taciturn  of  the  brothers,  received  for  his  por- 
tion the  scepter  of  Tartarus  and  all  the  Lower  World,  where  no 
beam  of  sunlight  was  ever  allowed  to  find  its  way ;  while  Jupiter 
reserved  for  himself  the  general  supervision  of  his  brothers'  estates, 
and  the  direct  management  of  Heaven  and  Earth. 

Peace  now  reigned  throughout  all  the  world.  Not  a  murmur 
was  heard,  except  from  the  Titans,  who  at  length,  seeing  that 
further  opposition  would  be  useless,  grew  reconciled  to  their  fate. 

In  the  days  of  their  prosperity,  the  Titans  had  intermarried. 
Cronus  had  taken  Rhea  "for  better  or  for  worse;"  and  lapetus 
had  seen,  loved,  and  wedded  the  fair  Clymene,  one  of  the  ocean 
nymphs,  or  Oceanides,  daughters  of  Oceanus.  The  latter  pair  be- 
came the  proud  parents  of  four  gigantic  sons, —  Atlas,  Menetius, 
Prometheus  (Forethought),  and  Epimetheus  (Afterthought), — 
who  were  destined  to  play  prominent  parts  in  Grecian  mythology. 

At  the  time  of  the  creation,  after  covering  the  new-born  Earth 
with  luxuriant  vegetation,  and  peopling  it  with  living  creatures  of 
all  kinds,  Eros  perceived  that  it  would  be  neces-         story  of 
sary  to  endow  them  with  instincts  which  would      Prometheus, 
enable  them  to  preserve  and  enjoy  the  life  they  had  received. 
He  therefore  called  the  youngest  two  sons  of  lapetus  to  his  aid, 
and  bade  them  make  a  judicious  distribution  of  gifts  to  all  living 
creatures,  and  create  and  endow  a  superior  being,  called  Man, 
to  rule  over  all  the  others. 

Prometheus'  and  Epimetheus'  first  care  was,  very  naturally,  to 
provide  for  the  beings  already  created.  These  they  endowed  with 
such  reckless  generosity,  that  all  their  favors  were  soon  dispensed, 


<26) 


MINERVA  AND  PROMETHEUS.—  ThorwaUsen. 
( Copenhagen.) 


THE  BEGINNING   OF  ALL    THINGS.  27 

and  none  remained  for  the  endowment  of  man.  Although  they 
had  not  the  remotest  idea  how  to  overcome  this  difficulty,  they 
proceeded  to  fashion  man  from  clay. 

"  Prometheus  first  transmuted 
Atoms  culled  for  human  clay." 

HORACE. 

They  first  molded  an  image  similar  in  form  to  the  gods ;  bade 
Eros  breathe  into  its  nostrils  the  spirit  of  life,  and  Minerva  (Pal- 
las) endow  it  with  a  soul ;  whereupon  man  lived,  and  moved,  and 
viewed  his  new  domain. 

Justly  proud  of  his  handiwork,  Prometheus  observed  man,  and 
longed  to  bestow  upon  him  some  great  power,  unshared  by  any 
other  creature  of  mortal  birth,  which  would  raise  him  far  above 
all  other  living  beings,  and  bring  him  nearer  to  the  perfection  of 
the  immortal  gods.  Fire  alone,  in  his  estimation,  could  effect 
this ;  but  fire  was  the  special  possession  and  prerogative  of  the 
gods,  and  Prometheus  knew  they  would  never  willingly  share  it 
with  man,  and  that,  should  any  one  obtain  it  by  stealth,  they 
would  never  forgive  the  thief.  Long  he  pondered  the  matter,  and 
finally  determined  to  make  the  attempt,  and  obtain  fire,  or  die. 

One  dark  night,  therefore,  he  set  out  for  Olympus,  entered 
unperceived  into  the  gods'  abode,  seized  a  lighted  brand,  hid  it 
in  his  bosom,  and  departed  unseen,  exulting  in  the  success  of  his 
enterprise.  Arrived  upon  earth  once  more,  he  consigned  the 
stolen  treasure  to  the  care  of  man,  who  immediately  adapted  it  to 
various  purposes,  and  eloquently  expressed  his  gratitude  to  the 
benevolent  deity  \vho  had  risked  his  own  life  to  obtain  it  for  him. 

"  Of  Prometheus,  how  undaunted 
On  Olympus'  shining  bastions 
His  audacious  foot  he  planted, 
Myths  are  told  and  songs  are  chanted, 
Full  of  promptings  and  suggestions. 

"  Beautiful  is  the  tradition 

Of  that  flight  through  heavenly  portals, 


28  CLASSICAL   MYTHS. 

The  old  classic  superstition 
Of  the  theft  and  the  transmission 
Of  the  fire  of  the  Immortals." 

LONGFELLOW. 

From  his  lofty  throne  on  the  topmost  peak  of  Mount  Olympus 
Jupiter  beheld  an  unusual  light  down  upon  earth.  Anxious  to 
ascertain  its  exact  nature,  he  watched  it  closely,  and  before  long 
discovered  the  larceny.  His  anger  then  burst  forth,  terrible  to 
behold ;  and  the  gods  all  quailed  when  they  heard  him  solemnly 
vow  he  would  punish  the  unhappy  Prometheus  without  mercy. 
To  seize  the  offender  in  his  mighty  grasp,  bear  him  off  to  the 
Caucasian  Mountains,  and  bind  him  fast  to  a  great  rock,  was  but 
a  moment's  work.  There  a  voracious  vulture  was  summoned  to 
feast  upon  his  liver,  the  tearing  of  which  from  his  side  by  the 
bird's  cruel  beak  and  talons  caused  the  sufferer  intense  anguish. 
All  day  long  the  vulture  gorged  himself ;  but  during  the  cool 
night,  while  the  bird  slept,  Prometheus'  suffering  abated,  and  the 
liver  grew  again,  thus  prolonging  the  torture,  which  bade  fair  to 
have  no  end. 

Disheartened  by  the  prospect  of  long  years  of  unremitting 
pain,  Prometheus  at  times  could  not  refrain  from  pitiful  com- 
plaints ;  but  generation  after  generation  of  men  lived  on  earth, 
and  died,  blessing  him  for  the  gift  he  had  obtained  for  them  at 
such  a  terrible  cost.  After  many  centuries  of  woe,  Hercules,  son 
of  Jupiter  and  Alcmene,  found  Prometheus,  killed  the  vulture, 
broke  the  adamantine  chains,  and  liberated  the  long-suffering 
god. 

The  first  mortals  lived  on  earth  in  a  state  of  perfect  innocence 
and  bliss.  The  air  was  pure  and  balmy ;  the  sun  shone  brightly 

stor   of        a^  t^le  vear;    t^6    eartri  brought  forth   delicious 
Epimetheus      fruit  in  abundance  ;  and  beautiful,  fragrant  flowers 

and  Pandora.      ,  , 

bloomed  everywhere.  Man  was  content.  Extreme 
cold,  hunger,  sickness,  and  death  were  unknown.  Jupiter,  who 
justly  ascribed  a  good  part  of  this  beatific  condition  to  the  gift 
conferred  by  Prometheus,  was  greatly  displeased,  and  tried  to 


THE  BEGINNING  OF  ALL  THINGS.         29 

devise  some  means  to  punish  mankind  for  the  acceptance  of  the 
heavenly  fire. 

With  this  purpose  in  view,  he  assembled  the  gods  on  Mount 
Olympus,  where,  in  solemn  council,  they  decided  to  create 
woman ;  and,  as  soon  as  she  had  been  artfully  fashioned,  each 
one  endowed  her  with  some  special  charm,  to  make  her  more 

attractive. 

"The  crippled  artist-god, 
Illustrious,  molded  from  the  yielding  clay 
A  bashful  virgin's  image,  as  advis'd 
Saturnian  Jove. 

"But  now  when  the  fair  mischief,  seeming-good, 
His  hand  had  perfected,  he  led  her  forth 
Exulting  in  her  grac'd  attire,  the  gift 
Of  Pallas,  in  the  midst  of  gods  and  men. 
On  men  and  gods  in  that  same  moment  seiz'd 
The  ravishment  of  wonder,  when  they  saw 
The  deep  deceit,  th'  inextricable  snare." 

HESIOD  (Elton's  tr.). 

Their  united  efforts  were  crowned  with  the  utmost  success. 
Nothing  was  lacking,  except  a  name  for  the  peerless  creature ; 
and  the  gods,  after  due  consideration,  decreed  she  should  be 
called  Pandora.  They  then  bade  Mercury  take  her  to  Prome- 
theus as  a  gift  from  heaven ;  but  he,  knowing  only  too  well  that 
nothing  good  would  come  to  him  from  the  gods,  refused  to  ac- 
cept her,  and  cautioned  his  brother  Epimetheus  to  follow  his 
example.  Unfortunately  Epimetheus  was  of  a  confiding  dis- 
position, and  when  he  beheld  the  maiden  he  exclaimed,  "  Surely 
so  beautiful  and  gentle  a  being  can  bring  no  evil !  "  and  accepted 
her  most  joyfully. 

The  first  days  of  their  union  were  spent  in  blissful  wanderings, 
hand  in  hand,  under  the  cool  forest  shade;  in  weaving 'garlands 
of  fragrant  flowers  ;  and  in  refreshing  themselves  with  the  luscious 
fruit,  which  hung  so  temptingly  within  reach.. 

One  lovely  evening,  while   dancing  on  the   green,  they  saw 


(3°) 


PANDORA.—  Sichel. 


THE   BEG  IX. \I.\G    OF  ALL    THINGS.  31 

Mercury,  Jupiter's  messenger,  coming  towards  them.  His  step 
was  slow  and  weary,  his  garments  dusty  and  travel-stained,  and 
he  seemed  almost  to  stagger  beneath  the  weight  of  a  huge  box 
which  rested  upon  his  shoulders.  Pandora  immediately  ceased 
dancing,  to  speculate  with  feminine  curiosity  upon  the  contents 
of  the  chest,  timidly  nudged  Epimetheus,  and  in  a  whisper  begged 
him  to  ask  Mercury  what  brought  him  thither.  Epimetheus 
complied  with  her  request ;  but  Mercury  evaded  the  question, 
asked  permission  to  deposit  his  burden  in  their  dwelling  for  safe- 
keeping, professing  himself  too  weary  to  convey  it  to  its  destina- 
tion that  day,  and  promised  to  call  for  it  shortly.  The  permis- 
sion was  promptly  granted.  Mercury,  with  a  sigh  of  relief,  placed 
the  box  in  one  corner,  and  then  departed,  refusing  all  hospitable 
offers  of  rest  and  refreshment. 

He  had  scarcely  crossed  the  threshold,  when  Pandora  expressed 
a  strong  desire  to  have  a  peep  at  the  contents  of  the  mysterious 
box ;  but  Epimetheus,  surprised  and  shocked,  told  her  that  her 
curiosity  was  unseemly,  and  then,  to  dispel  the  frown  and  pout 
seen  for  the  first  time  on  the  fair  face  of  his  beloved,  he  entreated 
her  to  come  out  into  the  fresh  air  and  join  in  the  merry  games  of 
their  companions.  For  the  first  time,  also,  Pandora  refused  to 
comply  with  his  request.  Dismayed,  and  very  much  discouraged, 
Epimetheus  sauntered  out  alone,  thinking  she  would  soon  join 
him,  and  perhaps  by  some  caress  atone  for  her  present  willfulness. 

Left  alone  with  the  mysterious  casket,  Pandora  became  more 
and  more  inquisitive.  Stealthily  she  drew  near,  and  examined  it 
with  great  interest,  for  it  was  curiously  wrought  of  dark  wood, 
and  surmounted  by  a  delicately  carved  head,  of  such  fine  work- 
manship that  it  seemed  to  smile  and  encourage  her.  Around 
the  box  a  glittering  golden  cord  was  wound,  and  fastened  on  top 
in  an  intricate  knot.  Pandora,  who  prided  herself  specially  on 
her  deft  fingers,  felt  sure  she  could  unfasten  it,  and,  reasoning 
that  it  would  not  be  indiscreet  to  untie  it  if  she  did  not  raise  the 
lid,  she  set  to  work.  Long  she  strove,  but  all  in  vain.  Ever 
and  anon  the  laughing  voices  of  Epimetheus  and  his  companions, 


32  CLASSICAL   MYTHS. 

playing  in  the  luxuriant  shade,  were  wafted  in  on  the  summer 
breeze.  Repeatedly  she  heard  them  call,  and  beseech  her  to  join 
them ;  yet  she  persisted  in  her  attempt.  She  was  just  on  the 
point  of  giving  it  up  in  despair,  when  suddenly  the  refractory 
knot  yielded  to  her  fumbling  fingers,  and  the  cord,  unrolling, 
dropped  on  the  floor. 

Pandora  had  repeatedly  fancied  that  sounds  like  whispers  issued 
from  the  box.  The  noise  now  seemed  to  increase,  and  she  breath- 
lessly applied  her  ear  to  the  lid  to  ascertain  whether  it  really 
proceeded  from  within.  Imagine,  therefore,  her  surprise  when 
she  distinctly  heard  these  words,  uttered  in  the  most  pitiful 
accents:  "  Pandora,  dear  Pandora,  have  pity  upon  us!  Free  us 
from  this  gloomy  prison!  Open,  open,  we  beseech  you! " 

Pandora's  heart  beat  so  fast  and  loud,  that  it  seemed  for  a 
moment  to  drown  all  other  sounds.  Should  she  open  the  box? 
Just  then  a  familiar  step  outside  made  her  start  guiltily.  Epime- 
theus  was  coming,  and  she  knew  he  would  urge  her  again  to 
come  out,  and  would  prevent  the  gratification  of  her  curiosity. 
Precipitately,  therefore,  she  raised  the  lid  to  have  one  little  peep 
before  he  came  in. 

Now,  Jupiter  had  malignantly  crammed  into  this  box  all  the 
diseases,  sorrows,  vices,  and  crimes  that  afflict  poor  humanity ; 
and  the  box  was  no  sooner  opened,  than  all  these  ills  flew  out, 
in  the  guise  of  horrid  little  brown-winged  creatures,  closely 
resembling  moths.  These  little  insects  fluttered  about,  alight- 
ing, some  upon  Epimetheus,  who  had  just  entered,  and  some 
upon  Pandora,  pricking  and  stinging  them  most  unmercifully. 
Then  they  flew  out  through  the  open  door  and  windows,  and 
fastened  upon  the  merrymakers  without,  whose  shouts  of  joy  were 
soon  changed  into  wails  of  pain  and  anguish. 

Epimetheus  and  Pandora  had  never  before  experienced  the 
faintest  sensation  of  pain  or  anger ;  but,  as  soon  as  these  winged 
evil  spirits  had  stung  them,  they  began  to  weep,  and,  alas!  quar- 
reled for  the  first  time  in  their  lives.  Epimetheus  reproached  his 
wife  in  bitterest  terms  for  her  thoughtless  action ;  but  in  the  very 


THE   BEG  I XX I XG    OF  ALL    THIXGS.  33 

midst  of  his  vituperation  he  suddenly  heard  a  sweet  little  voice 
entreat  for  freedom.  The  sound  proceeded  from  the  unfortu- 
nate box,  whose  cover  Pandora  had  dropped  again,  in  the  first 
moment  of  her  surprise  and  pain.  "  Open,  open,  and  I  will  heal 
your  wounds!  Please  let  me  out!"  it  pleaded. 

The  tearful  couple  viewed  each  other  inquiringly,  and  listened 
again.  Once  more  they  heard  the  same  pitiful  accents;  and 
Epimetheus  bade  his  wife  open  the  box  and  set  the  speaker  free, 
adding  very  amiably,  that  she  had  already  done  so  much  harm 
by  her  ill-fated  curiosity,  that  it  would  be  difficult  to  add 
materially  to  its  evil  consequences,  and  that,  perchance,  the  box 
contained  some  good  spirit,  whose  ministrations  might  prove 
beneficial. 

It  was  well  for  Pandora  that  she  opened  the  box  a  second  time, 
for  the  gods,  with  a  sudden  impulse  of  compassion,  had  concealed 
among  the  evil  spirits  one  kindly  creature,  Hope,  whose  mission 
was  to  heal  the  wounds  inflicted  by  her  fellow-prisoners. 

"  Hope  sole  remain'd  within,  nor  took  her  flight, 
Beneath  the  vessel's  verge  conceal'd  from  light." 

HESIOD  (Elton's  tr.). 

Lightly  fluttering  hither  and  thither  on  her  snowy  pinions, 
Hope  touched  the  punctured  places  on  Pandora's  and  Epime- 
theus' creamy  skin,  and  relieved  their  suffering,  then  quickly  flew 
out  of  the  open  window,  to  perform  the  same  gentle  office  for  the 
other  victims,  and  cheer  their  downcast  spirits. 

Thus,  according  to  the  ancients,  evil  entered  into  the  world, 
bringing  untold  misery ;  but  Hope  followed  closely  in  its  foot- 
steps, to  aid  struggling  humanity,  and  point  to  a  happier  future. 

"  Hope  rules  a  land  forever  green  : 
All  powers  that  serve  the  bright-eyed  Queen 

Are  confident  and  gay ; 
Clouds  at  her  bidding  disappear; 
Points  she  to  aught  ?  —  the  bliss  draws  near, 
And  Fancy  smooths  the  way." 

WORDSWORTH. 


HOPE.—  Thorwaldsen. 


THE   BEGIXX1XG    OF  ALL    THINGS.  35 

During  many  centuries,  therefore,  Hope  continued  to  be  re- 
vered, although  the  other  divinities  had  ceased  to  be  worshiped. 

According  to  another  version,  Pandora  was  sent  down  to  man, 
bearing  a  vase  in  which  the  evil  spirits  were  imprisoned,  and  on 
the  way,  seized  by  a  fit  of  curiosity,  raised  the  cover,  and  allowed 
them  all  to  escape. 

Little  by  little  the  world  was  peopled ;   and  the  first  years  of 
man's  existence   upon   earth  were,  as  we  have  seen,  years  of 
unalloyed  happiness.    There  was  no  occasion  for 
labor,  for  the  earth  brought  forth  spontaneously 
all  that  was  necessary  for  man's  subsistence.     "  Innocence,  vir- 
tue, and  truth  prevailed ;   neither  were  there  any  laws  to  restrict 
men,  nor  judges  to  punish."     This  time  of  bliss  has  justly  borne 
the  title  of  Golden  Age,  and  the  people  in  Italy  then  throve 
under  the  wise  rule  of  good  old  Saturn,  or  Gronus. 

Unfortunately,  nothing  in  this  world  is  lasting ;  and  the  Golden 
Age  was  followed  by  another,  not  quite  so  prosperous,  hence 
called  the  Silver  Age,  when  the  year  was  first  divided  into  seasons, 
and  men  were  obliged  to  toil  for  their  daily  bread. 

"  Succeeding  times  a  silver  age  behold, 
Excelling  brass,  but  more  excell'd  by  gold. 
Then  summer,  autumn,  winter,  did  appear, 
And  spring  was  but  a  season  of  the  year ; 
The  sun  his  annual  course  obliquely  made, 
Good  days  contracted,  and  enlarg'd  the  bad. 
The  air  with  sultry  heats  began  to  glow, 
The  wings  of  winds  were  clogg'd  with  ice  and  snow; 
And  shivering  mortals  into  houses  driven, 
Sought  shelter  from  the  inclemency  of  heaven. 
Those  houses,  then,  were  caves  or  homely  sheds, 
With  twining  osiers  fenc'd,  and  moss  their  beds. 
Then  plows,  for  seed,  the  fruitful  furrows  broke, 
And  oxen  labor'd  first  beneath  the  yoke." 

OVID   (Dryden's  tr.). 

Yet,  in  spite  of  these  few  hardships,  the  people  were  happy, 
far  happier  than  their  descendants  during  the  Age  of  Brass,  which 


36  CLASSICAL    MYTHS. 

speedily  followed,  when  strife  became  customary,  and  differences 
were  settled  by  blows. 

But  by  far  the  worst  of  all  was  the  Iron  Age,  when  men's  pas- 
sions knew  no  bounds,  and  they  even  dared  refuse  all  homage 
to  the  immortal  gods.  War  was  waged  incessantly ;  the  earth 
was  saturated  with  blood ;  the  rights  of  hospitality  were  openly 
violated  ;  and  murder,  rape,  and  theft  were  committed  on  all  sides. 

Jupiter  had  kept  a  close  watch  over  men's   actions  during 

all  these  years ;  and  this  evil  conduct  aroused  his  wrath  to  such 

a  point,  that  he  vowed  he  would  annihilate  the 

The  Deluge. 

human  race.  But  the  modes  of  destruction  were 
manifold,  and,  as  he  could  not  decide  which  would  eventually 
prove  most  efficacious,  he  summoned  the  gods  to  deliberate  and 
aid  him  by  their  counsels.  The  first  suggestion  offered,  was  to 
destroy  the  world  by  fire,  kindled  by  Jupiter's  much-dreaded 
thunderbolts;  and  the  king  of  gods  was  about  to  put  it  into 
instant  execution,  when  his  arm  was  stayed  by  the  objection  that 
the  rising  flames  might  set  fire  to  his  own  abode,  and  reduce  its 
magnificence  to  unsightly  ashes.  He  therefore  rejected  the  plan 
as  impracticable,  and  bade  the  gods  devise  other  means  of  de- 
struction. 

After  much  delay  and  discussion,  the  immortals  agreed  to  wash 
mankind  off  the  face  of  the  earth  by  a  mighty  deluge.  The 
winds  were  instructed  to  gather  together  the  rain  clouds  over  the 
earth.  Neptune  let  loose  the  waves  of  the  sea,  bidding  them 
rise,  overflow,  and  deluge  the  land.  No  sooner  had  the  gods 
spoken,  than  the  elements  obeyed :  the  winds  blew ;  the  rain  fell 
in  torrents ;  lakes,  seas,  rivers,1"  and  oceans  broke  their  bonds  ;  and 
terrified  mortals,  forgetting  their  petty  quarrels  in  a  common  im- 
pulse to  flee  from  the  death  which  threatened  them,  climbed 
the  highest  mountains,  clung  to  uprooted  trees,  and  even  took 
refuge  in  the  light  skiffs  they  had  constructed  in  happier  days. 
Their  efforts  were  all  in  vain,  however ;  for  the  waters  rose  higher 
and  higher,  overtook  them  one  after  another  in  their  ineffectual 
efforts  to  escape,  closed  over  the  homes  where  they  might  have 


THE  BEGINXIXG    OF  ALL    THINGS.  37 

been  so  happy,  and  drowned  their  last  despairing  cries  in  their 
seething  depths. 

"  Now  hills  and  vales  no  more  distinction  know, 
And  level'd  nature  lies  oppress'd  below ; 
The  most  of  mortals  perish  in  the  flood." 

OVID  (Dryden's  tr.). 

The  rain  continued  to  fall,  until,  after  many  days,  the  waves 
covered  all  the  surface  of  the  earth  except  the  summit  of  Mount 
Parnassus,  the  highest  peak  in  Greece.     On  this         gtor   of 
mountain,   surrounded    by   the    ever-rising    flood,        Deucalion 
stood  the  son  of  Prometheus,  Deucalion,  with  his 
faithful  wife  Pyrrha,  a  daughter  of  Epimetheus  and  Pandora. 
From  thence  they,  the  sole  survivors,  viewed  the  universal  deso- 
lation with  tear-dimmed  eyes. 

In  spite  of  the  general  depravity,  the  lives  of  this  couple  had 
always  been  pure  and  virtuous  ;  and  when  Jupiter  saw  them  there 
alone,  and  remembered  their  piety,  he  decided  not  to  include  them 
in  the  general  destruction,  but  to  save  their  lives.  He  therefore 
bade  the  winds  return  to  their  cave,  and  the  rain  to  cease.  Nep- 
tune, in  accordance  with  his  decree,  blew  a  resounding  blast  upon 
his  conch  shell  to  recall  the  wandering  waves,  which  immediately 
returned  within  their  usual  bounds. 

"At  length  the  world  was  all  restor'd  to  view, 
But  desolate,  and  of  a  sickly  hue ; 
Nature  beheld  herself,  and  stood  aghast, 
A  dismal  desert  and  a  silent  waste." 

OVID  (Dryden's  tr. ). 

• 

Deucalion  and  Pyrrha  followed  the  receding  waves  step  by 
step  down  the  steep  mountain  side,  wondering  how  they  should 
repeople  the  desolate  earth.  As  they  talked,  they  came  to  the 
shrine  of  Delphi,  which  alone  had  been  able  to  resist  the  force  of 
the  waves.  There  they  entered  to  consult  the  wishes  of  the  gods. 
Their  surprise  and  horror  were  unbounded,  however,  when  a 
voice  exclaimed,  "  Depart  from  hence  with  veiled  heads,  and 

3 


38  CLASSICAL  MYTHS. 

cast  your  mother's  bones  behind  you!"  To  obey  such  a  com- 
mand seemed  sacrilegious  in  the  extreme ;  for  the  dead  had 
always  been  held  in  deep  veneration  by  the  Greeks,  and  the  des- 
ecration of  a  grave  was  considered  a  heinous  crime,  and  punished 
accordingly.  But,  they  reasoned,  the  gods'  oracles  can  seldom  be 
accepted  in  a  literal  sense ;  and  Deucalion,  after  due  thought, 
explained  to  Pyrrha  what  he  conceived  to  be  the  meaning  of  this 
mysterious  command. 

"The  Earth,"  said  he,  "is  the  mother  of  all,  and  the  stones 
may  be  considered  her  bones."  Husband  and  wife  speedily 
decided  to  act  upon  this  premise,  and  continued  their  descent, 
casting  stones  behind  them.  All  those  thrown  by  Deucalion 
were  immediately  changed  into  men,  while  those  cast  by  Pyrrha 
became  women. 

Thus  the  earth  was  peopled  for  the  second  time  with  a  blame- 
less race  of  men,  sent  to  replace  the  wicked  beings  slain  by 
Jupiter.  Deucalion  and  Pyrrha  shortly  after  became  the  happy 
parents  of  a  son  named  Hellen,  who  gave  his  name  to  all  the 
Hellenic  or  Greek  race ;  while  his  sons  y£olus  and  Dorus,  and 
grandsons  Ion  and  Achaeus,  became  the  ancestors  of  the  ^Eolian, 
Dorian,  Ionian,  and  Achaian  nations. 

Other  mythologists,  in  treating  of  the  deluvian  myths,  state 
that  Deucalion  and  Pyrrha  took  refuge  in  an  ark,  which,  after 
sailing  about  for  many  days,  was  stranded  on  the  top  of  Mount 
Parnassus.  This  version  was  far  less  popular  with  the  Greeks, 
although  it  betrays  still  more  plainly  the  common  source  whence 
all  these  myths  are  derived. 

"  Who  does  not  see  in  drown  Deucalion's  name, 
When  Earth  her  men  and  Sea  had  lost  her  shore, 
Old  Noah  ! " 

FLETCHER. 


CHAPTER    II. 

JUPITER. 

JUPITER,  Jove,  or  Zeus,  king  of  the  gods,  supreme  ruler  of  the 
universe,  the  special  deity  of  mankind,  the  personification  of  the 
sky  and  of  all  the  phenomena  of  the  air,  and  the 

,.  ,.        ,.   .       ,          ,  Jupiter's  titles. 

guardian  of  political  order  and  peace,  was  the  most 

prominent  of  all  the  Olympian  divinities :  the  others  were  obliged 

to  submit  to  his  will,  and  trembled  at  his  all-powerful  nod. 

"  He,  whose  all-conscious  eyes  the  world  behold, 
The  eternal  Thunderer  sat,  enthroned  in  gold. 
High  heaven  the  footstool  of  his  feet  he  makes, 
And  wide  beneath  him  all  Olympus  shakes." 

"  He  spoke,  and  awful  bends  his  sable  brows, 
Shakes  his  ambrosial  curls,  and  gives  the  nod, 
The  stamp  of  fate  and  sanction  of  the  god : 
High  heaven  with  trembling  the  dread  signal  took, 
And  nil  Olympus  to  the  center  shook." 

HOMER  (Pope's  tr.). 

The  Fates  and  Destiny  alone  dared  oppose  Jupiter's  sovereign 
will,  and  they  continued  to  issue  their  irrevocable  decrees,  even 
after  he  supplanted  his  father  and  began  to  rule  over  all. 

In  common  with  all  other  Greek  and  Roman  divinities,  Jupiter, 
though  immortal,  was  subject  to  pleasure,  pain,  grief,  and  anger, 
and  a  prey  to  all  the  passions  which  rule  the  hearts  of  men. 

It  was  he  who  presided  at  the  councils  held  on  the  top  of 
"  many-peaked  Olympus,"  and  summoned  the  gods  whenever  he 
wished  to  discuss  with  them  any  matter  of  importance,  or  to  in- 

39 


OLYMPIAN  ZEUS.—  Flaxman. 


Jf 'PITER.  41 

dulge   in  a  sumptuous  repast,  when  they  ate  the  celestial  am- 
brosia and  quaffed  the  fragrant  nectar. 

He  is  generally  represented  as  a  fine  majestic  figure,  with  long 
curling  hair  and  beard,  clad  in  flowing  drapery,  his  redoubt- 
able thunderbolts  or  scepter  in  one  hand,  and  a  statue  of  Vic- 
tory in  the  other.  The  world  is  his  footstool ;  and  the  eagle, 
emblem  of  strength  and  power,  is  generally  seen  close  beside  him. 

Jupiter  had  his  own  special  attendants,  such  as  Victoria,  or 
Nice,  the  goddess  of  victory,  who  was  ever  ready        Jupiter's 
to  obey  his  slightest  behest,  and  it  is  said  her  mas-      attendants, 
ter  loved  her  so  dearly,  that  he  generally  held  an  image  of  her  in 
his  hand. 

The  hundred-tongued  goddess  of  fame,  Fama,  trumpet  in  hand, 
proclaimed,  at  his  bidding,  anything  he  wished,  never  question- 
ing whether  it  were  true  or  false. 

"  Fame  than  who  never  plague  that  runs 

Its  way  more  swiftly  wins: 
Her  very  motion  lends  her  power : 
She  flies  and  waxes  every  hour. 
At  first  she  shrinks,  and  cowers  for  dread: 

Ere  long  she  soars  on  high : 
Upon  the  ground  she  plants  her  tread, 

Her  forehead  in  the  sky." 

VIRGIL  (Conington's  tr.). 

Close  by  Jupiter's  side  was  sometimes  seen  Fortuna,  goddess 
of  fortune,  poised  on  a  constantly  revolving  wheel,  whereon  she 
journeyed  throughout  the  world,  scattering  with  careless  hands 
her  numerous  gifts,  and  lavishing  with  indifference  her  choicest 
smiles ;  while  Hebe,  or  Juventas,  the  goddess  of  youth,  was  ever 
ready  at  his  wish  to  pour  out  the  nectar,  in  which  the  gods  were 
wont  to  pledge  each  other. 

"Hebe,  honored  of  them  all, 
Ministered  nectar,  and  from  cups  of  gold 
They  pledged  each  other." 

HOMER  (Bryant's  tr.). 


GANYMEDE  AND   THE  EAGLE. 
(  National  Museum,  Naples.) 


JUPITER.  43 

But  this  fair  goddess  awkwardly  tripped  and  fell  on  a  solemn  oc- 
casion, and  was  forced  to  resign  her  office.  To  replace  her,  the 
father  of  the  gods  was  obliged  to  go  in  quest  of  another  cup- 
bearer. 

To  facilitate  his  search,  he  assumed  the  form  of  an  eagle,  and 
winged  his  flight  over  the  earth.  He  had  not  flown  far,  before 
he  beheld  a  youth  of  marvelous  beauty,  alone  on  a  neighboring 
hill.  To  swoop  down,  catch  him  up  in  his  mighty  talons,  and 
bear  him  safely  off  to  Olympus,  was  but  a  moment's  work ;  and 
there  the  kidnapped  youth  Ganymede,  the  son  of  a  king  of  Troy, 
was  carefully  instructed  in  the  duties  he  was  called  upon  to  per- 
form in  the  future. 

"And  godlike  Ganymede,  most  beautiful 
Of  men  ;   the  gods  beheld  and  caught  him  up 
To  heaven,  so  beautiful  was  he,  to  pour 
The  wine  to  Jove,  and  ever  dwell  with  them." 

HOMER  (Bryant's  tr. ). 

Solicitous  for  the  welfare  of  mankind,  Jupiter  often  visited  the 
earth,  taking  great  care  to  assume  some  disguise  which  would 
enable  him  to  ascertain  all  he  wished  without  any 

Story  of 

risk  of  detection.     One  day  he  and  Mercury,  his        Philemon 
special  messenger  and  favorite  among  the  gods, 
took  the  forms  of  needy,  belated  travelers,  and  entered  the  lowly 
hut  of  a  worthy  old  couple,  Philemon  and  Baucis. 

Eager  to  offer  their  best  to  the  strangers,  these  poor  people 
decided  to  kill  their  sole  remaining  goose ;  but  their  efforts  to 
secure  it  were  vain,  and  finally  the  persecuted  fowl  took  refuge 
between  Jupiter's  knees.  Touched  with  their  zeal,  yet  anxious  to 
prevent  the  death  of  the  confiding  goose,  Jupiter  revealed  him- 
self to  his  faithful  worshipers,  and  in  gratitude  for  their  intended 
sacrifice  bade  them  ask  any  boon,  promising  by  the  great  river 
Styx  —  the  most  binding  and  solemn  oath  a  god  could  utter  — 
to  grant  their  request. 

Contrary  to  the  custom   current  in   similar  cases,  Philemon 


44  CLASSICAL   MYTHS. 

and  Baucis  made  a  modest  and  judicious  choice,  and  proffered 
a  timid  request  that  they  might  serve  the  gods  as  long  as  life 
and  strength  endured,  and  finally  die  together.  This  most  rea- 
sonable wish  was  immediately  granted ;  and  Jupiter,  moreover, 
changed  their  humble  abode  into  a  superb  temple,  where  they 
could  offer  daily  sacrifices  on  his  altars. 

"Their  little  shed,  scarce  large  enough  for  two, 
Seems,  from  the  ground  increased,  in  height  and  bulk  to  grow. 
A  stately  temple  shoots  within  the  skies, 
The  crotches  of  their  cot  in  columns  rise; 
The  pavement  polish'd  marble  they  behold, 
The  gates  with  sculpture  grac'd,  the  spires  and  tiles  of  gold." 

OVID  (Dryden's  tr.). 

After  many  years  of  faithful  service,  when  age  had  made 
them  long  for  death,  Philemon  and  Baucis  were  transformed  into 
majestic  oaks,  which  stood  for  many  a  century  in  front  of  the 
temple,  monuments  of  the  love  and  faith  which  had  bound  the 
pair  through  life. 

Although  married  to  Juno,  Jupiter  often  indulged  in  love  affairs 
with  other  goddesses,  and  even  with  mortal  maidens.  The  ancients 
themselves  did  not  practice  polygamy,  but  their  gods  were  sup- 
posed to  be  able  to  indulge  all  their  passions  with  impunity.  As 
the  personification  of  the  sky,  Jupiter,  therefore,  consorted  at 
times  with  Juno  (the  Atmosphere),  with  Dione  (Moisture),  with 
Themis  (Justice),  etc.,  without  incurring  any  reproach ;  for  these 
marriages,  in  their  estimation,  were  all  symbolical. 

But  Juno  being  of  a  jealous  disposition,  Jupiter  was  forced  to 
conduct  his  courtships  with  great  secrecy  and  circumspection,  and 
therefore  generally  adopted  the  precaution  of  a  disguise.  To  win 
Europa,  the  fair  daughter  of  Agenor,  for  instance,  he  became  a  bull. 

"The  gods  themselves, 
Humbling  their  deities  to  love,  have  taken 
The  shapes  of  beasts  upon  them.     Jupiter 
Became  a  bull,  and  bellow'd." 

SHAKESPEARE. 


JUPITER.  45 

One  day  Europa  was  playing  in  her  father's  meadows  with  her 
three  brothers,  Cadmus,  Phoenix,  and  Cilix,  when  she  suddenly 
saw  a  white  bull  coming  towards  her ;  not  with  jupiter  kidnaps 
fiery  eyes  and  lowered  horns,  but  gently,  as  if  to  Europa. 
express  a  mute  request  to  be  petted.  The  maiden,  delighted, 
stroked  the  beast,  and  decked  it  with  bright  garlands  of  meadow- 
blossoms.  Then,  seeing  it  kneel,  as  if  to  invite  her  to  mount, 
she  lightly  sprang  upon  its  broad  back,  calling  to  her  companions 
to  follow  her  example ;  but,  before  they  could  do  as  she  wished, 
the  bull  had  risen  to  his  feet,  and  galloped  off  towards  the  sea 
with  his  fair  burden  on  his  back. 

Instead  of  turning  when  he  saw  the  foam-crested  waves,  he 

plunged  into  the  midst  of  them,  and  in  a  few  minutes  disap- 

.peared  from  view,  so  rapidly  did  he  swim  away.     To  reassure 

the  frightened  girl,  the  bull  now  spoke  in  gentle  accents,  bidding 

her  dismiss  all  fear,  for  he  was  the  great  Jupiter  in  disguise. 

"  Take  courage,  gentle  maid  !  nor  fear  the  tide : 
I,  though  near-seen  a  bull,  am  heavenly  Jove: 
I  change  my  shape  at  will." 

MOSCHCS  (Elton's  tr.). 

Pleased  with  the  novelty  of  her  situation,  and  flattered  by  the 
god's  evident  admiration,  Europa  ceased  to  struggle,  wound  her 
arms  more  closely  around  the  bull's  neck  to  prevent  the  waves 
from  washing  her  off  her  perilous  seat,  and  allowed  herself  to  be 
carried  away. 

Jupiter  finally  deposited  his  fair  burden  upon  the  shores  of  a 
new  land,  to  which  he  gallantly  gave  her  name,  Europe.  He 
then  resumed  his  wonted  form,  explained  at  length  his  reasons  for 
so  unceremoniously  kidnapping  her,  and  finally  won  her  consent 
to  their  union.  Their  three  sons  were  Minos,  Rhadamanthus, 
and  Sarpedon.  The  two  former  were  subsequently  appointed 
judges  in  the  Infernal  Regions,  while  the  third  found  an  early 
but  glorious  death  during  the  Trojan  war. 

All  unconscious  of  their  sister's  fate,  the  young  princes  had 


JUPITER.  47 

returned  in  haste  to  their  father's  palace  to  announce  her  sudden 
involuntary  departure.     Agenor,  whose  favorite  she  had  always 
been,  rent  his  garments  for  grief,  and  bade  his  sons         search 
go  forth  and  seek  her,  and  not  to  return  till  they      for  Eur°Pa- 
had  found  her.     Accompanied  by  their  mother,  Telephassa,  they 
immediately  set  out  on  their  journey,  inquiring  of  all  they  met  if 
they  had  seen  their  sister.     Search  and  inquiry  proved  equally 
fruitless. 

At  last,  weary  of  this  hopeless  quest,  Phoenix  refused  his  fur- 
ther aid,  and  allowed  his  sorrowing  relatives  to  continue  without 
him,  remaining  in  a  land  which  from  him  was  called  Phoenicia. 
Cilix,  too,  soon  followed  his  example,  and  settled  in  a  fertile 
country  which  they  had  reached,  hence  called  Cilicia ;  and 
finally  Telephassa,  worn  out  with  grief  and  fatigue,  lay  down  to 
die,  charging  her  oldest  son  to  go  on  alone. 

Cadmus  wandered  on  till  he  came  to  Delphi,  where  he  con- 
sulted the  oracle ;  but,  to  his  great  dismay,  the  only  reply  he  re- 
ceived was,  "  Follow  the  cow,  and  settle  where  she  rests." 

In  deep  perplexity  he  left  the  temple,  and,  from  force  of  habit, 
journeyed  on,  patiently  questioning  all  he  met.  Soon  he  per- 
ceived a  cow  leisurely  walking  in  front  of  him,  and,  mindful  of 
the  oracle,  he  ceased  his  search  and  followed  her.  Urged  by 
curiosity,  many  adventurers  joined  him  on  the  way,  and,  when 
the  cow  at  last  lay  down  in  the  land  since  called  Bceotia,  they 
all  promised  to  aid  Cadmus,  their  chosen  leader,  to  found  their 
future  capital,  which  was  to  be  called  Thebes. 

Parched  with  thirst  after  their  long  walk,  the  men  then  has- 
tened to  a  neighboring  spring,  but,  to  Cadmus'  surprise,  time 
passed  and  still  they  did  not  return.      Armed  with        Founding 
his  trusty  sword,  he  finally  went  down  to  the  spring       of  Thebes- 
to  discover  the  cause  of  their  delay,  and  found  that  they  had 
all  been  devoured  by  a  huge  dragon,  who  lived  in  the  hollow. 
The  prince  raised  his  sword  to  avenge  their  death,  and  dealt 
the  dragon  such  a  deadly  blow  upon  the  head,  that  he  put  an 
immediate  end  to  its  existence. 


48  CLASSICAL   MYTHS. 

While  Cadmus  stood  there  contemplating  his  lifeless  foe,  a 
voice  bade  him  extract  the  dragon's  teeth,  and  sow  them  in  the 
ground  already  broken  for  his  future  city.  No  human  being  was 
within  sight:  so  Cadmus  knew  the  order  proceeded  from  the 
immortal  gods,  and  immediately  prepared  to  obey  it.  The  drag- 
on's teeth  were  no  sooner  planted,  than  a  crop  of  giants 
sprang  from  the  soil,  full  grown,  and  armed  to  the  teeth.  They 
were  about  to  fall  upon  Cadmus,  when  the  same  voice  bade  him 
cast  a  stone  in  the  midst  of  their  close-drawn  phalanx.  Cadmus, 
seeing  the  giants  were  almost  upon  him,  and  that  no  time  was  to  be 
lost,  quickly  threw  a  stone.  The  effect  produced  was  almost  in- 
stantaneous ;  for  the  giants,  each  fancying  it  had  been  thrown  by 
his  neighbor,  began  fighting  among  themselves.  In  a  few  min- 
utes the  number  of  giants  was  reduced  to  five,  who  sheathed  their 
bloodstained  weapons,  and  humbly  tendered  their  services  to 
Cadmus.  With  their  aid,  the  foundations  of  the  city  were  laid ; 
but  their  labor  was  not  very  arduous,  as  the  gods  caused  some 
of  the  public  buildings  to  rise  up  out  of  the  ground,  all  complete, 
and  ready  for  use. 

To  reward  Cadmus  for  his  loving  and  painstaking  search  for 
Europa,  Jupiter  gave  him  the  hand  of  the  fair  princess  Harmonia, 
a  daughter  of  Mars  and  Venus,  in  marriage.  Cadmus,  the 
founder  of  Thebes,  is  supposed  to  have  invented  the  alphabet, 
and  introduced  its  use  into  Greece.  Although  his  career  was  very 
prosperous  at  first,  he  finally  incurred  the  wrath  of  the  gods  by 
forgetting,  on  a  solemn  occasion,  to  offer  them  a  suitable  sacrifice  ; 
and,  in  anger  at  his  dereliction,  they  changed  him  and  Harmonia 
into  huge  serpents. 

Jupiter  was,  of  course,  very  widely  and  generally  worshiped 
by  the  ancients ;  and  his  principal  temples  —  the  Capitol  at  Rome, 

Worship       and  the  shrine  of  Jupiter  Ammon  in  Libya — have 

of  Jupiter.  been  world-renowned.  He  also  had  a  noted  tem- 
ple at  Dodona,  where  an  oak  tree  gave  forth  mysterious  proph- 
ecies, which  were  supposed  to  have  been  inspired  by  the  king  of 
gods ;  but  of  this  shrine  no  ruins  even  remain. 


JUPITER.  49 

"Oh,  where,  Dodona  !  is  thine  aged  grove, 
Prophetic  fount,  and  oracle  divine  ? 
What  valley  echoed  the  response  of  Jove  ? 
What  trace  remaineth  of  the  Thunderer's  shrine? 
All,  all  forgotten!  " 

BYRON. 

A  magnificent  temple  at  Olympia,  on  the  Peloponnesus,  was 
also  dedicated  to  Jupiter ;  and  here  every  fifth  year  the  people  of 
Greece  were  wont  to  assemble  to  celebrate  games,  in  honor  of 
Jupiter's  great  victory  over  the  Titans.  These  festivals  were 
known  as  the  Olympian  Games ;  and  the  Greeks  generally  reck- 
oned time  by  olympiads,  that  is  to  say,  by  the  space  of  time  be- 
tween the  celebrations.  Within  the  temple  at  Olympia  stood  a 
wonderful  statue  of  gold  and  ivory,  the  work  of  Phidias.  Its  pro- 
portions and  beauty  were  such,  that  it  was  counted  one  of  the 
Seven  Wonders  of  the  ancient  world.  It  is  said,  too,  that  the 
artist,  having  completed  this  masterpiece,  longed  for  some  sign 
of  approval  from  heaven,  and  fervently  prayed  for  a  token  that 
the  god  accepted  his  labor.  Jupiter,  in  answer  to  this  prayer, 
sent  a  vivid  flash  of  lightning,  which  played  about  the  colossal 
image,  illuminating  it,  but  leaving  it  quite  unharmed. 

The  Greeks  were  indebted  to  Phidias  for  many  of  their  most 
exquisite  statues  of  the  gods ;  but  none  of  the  others  equaled 
this  figure  of  Jupiter  in  size,  dignity  of  attitude,  or  elaborate 
finish. 

"  Wise  Phidias,  thus  his  skill  to  prove, 

Through  many  a  god  advanc'd  to  Jove, 

And  taught  the  polish'd  rocks  to  shine 

With  airs  and  lineaments  divine  ; 

Till  Greece,  amaz'd,  and  half  afraid, 

Th'  assembled  deities  survey'd." 

ADDISON. 


(So) 


JUNO. 
(Vatican,  Rome.) 


CHAPTER    III. 

JUNO. 

JUNO  (Hera,  Here),  queen  of  heaven,  and  goddess  of  the 
atmosphere  and  of  marriage,  was  the  daughter  of  Cronus  and 
Rhea,  and  consequently  the  sister  of  Jupiter ;  but,  juno's 
as  soon  as  the  latter  had  dethroned  his  parents  and  marriage, 
seized  the  scepter,  he  began  to  look  about  him  for  a  suitable  help- 
mate. Juno  won  his  affections  by  her  great  beauty ;  and  he  im- 
mediately began  his  courtship,  which  he  carried  on  in  the  guise 
of  a  cuckoo,  to  infuse  a  little  romance  into  it.  He  evidently 
found  favor  in  her  sight,  and  won  her  consent  to  share  his  throne ; 
for  shortly  afterward  their  wedding  was  celebrated  with  great 
pomp  on  Mount  Olympus.  It  was  on  this  solemn  occasion  that 
the  immortal  conclave  of  the  gods  declared  that  Juno  should  be 
henceforth  honored  as  goddess  of  marriage. 

"Juno,  who  presides 
Supreme  o'er  bridegrooms  and  o'er  brides." 

VIRGIL  (Conington's  tr.). 

But  although  in  the  beginning  this  union  seemed  very  happy, 
there  soon  arose  subjects  for  contention  ;  for  unfortunately  Jupiter 
was  inclined  to  be  faithless,  and  Juno  jealous,  and,  like  the  ele- 
ment she  personified,  exceedingly  variable  in  her  moods.  On  such 
occasions  she  gave  way  to  her  violent  temper,  and  bitterly  re- 
proached her  husband,  who,  impatient  of  her  censure,  punished 
her  severely,  and,  instead  of  reforming,  merely  continued  his  nu- 
merous intrigues  with  renewed  zest. 

On  one  occasion  he  fell  deeply  in  love  with  a  maiden  named 


52  CLASSICAL  MYTHS. 

Callisto,  gentle,  fair,  and  slender ;  but,  in  spite  of  all  the  precau- 
tions which  he  took  when  visiting  her,  Juno  discovered  the  ob- 
storyof  Callisto  ject  °f  ms  affections.  Night  and  day  she  thought 

and  Areas.  an(j  pianned,  until  she  devised  a  species  of  re- 
venge which  seemed  adequate.  The  graceful  girl  was  suddenly 
bereft  of  speech,  changed  into  a  rough,  ungainly  bear,  and  driven 
out  into  the  solitudes  of  the  great  forests,  which  were  from  that 
time  forth  to  be  her  home.  Jupiter  vainly  sought  his  missing 
ladylove,  and  it  was  only  long  afterward  that  he  discovered  her 
and  her  little  bear  son  Areas.  In  pity  for  all  they  had  suffered, 
he  transferred  them  both  to  the  sky,  where  they  are  still  known 
as  the  constellations  of  the  Great  and  Little  Bear. 

Juno,  like  her  husband,  had  also  her  special  attendant,  Iris 

(the  Rainbow),  whom  she  frequently  employed  as  messenger,  —  a 

Juno's         task  which  this  deity  accomplished  with  as  much 

attendant.  celerity  as  Mercury.  Her  flight  through  the  air 
was  so  rapid,  that  she  was  seldom  seen ;  and  no  one  would  have 
known  she  had  passed,  had  it  not  been  for  the  brilliant  trail  her 
many-colored  robe  left  behind  her  in  the  sky. 

"Like  fiery  clouds,  that  flush  with  ruddy  glare, 
Or  Iris,  gliding  through  the  purple  air; 
When  loosely  girt  her  dazzling  mantle  flows, 
And  'gainst  the  sun  in  arching  colors  glows." 

FLACCUS  (Elton's  tr.). 

Juno  is  the  mother  of  Mars,  Hebe,  and  Vulcan,  and  is  always 
described  and  represented  as  a  beautiful,  majestic  woman,  clad 
in  flowing  robes,  with  a  diadem  and  scepter.  The  peacock  and 
cuckoo  were  both  sacred  to  her,  and  are  therefore  often  seen  at 
her  side. 

Her  principal  places  of  worship  were  at  Mycenae,  Sparta,  Argos, 
Rome,  and  Herseum.  She  had  also  numerous  other  sanctuaries 

Worship        scattered  throughout  the  ancient  world,  and  was 

worshiped  in  the  same  temples  as  Jupiter.     Many 

fine  statues  of  this  goddess  were  found  in  Greece  and  Italy,  some 


IRIS.— Guy  Head. 
(  Gallery  of  St.  Luke,  Rome.) 


(53) 


54  CLASSICAL  MYTHS. 

of  which  are  still  extant,  and  serve  to  show  the  ancients'  exalted 
conception  of  the  Queen  of  Heaven. 

Juno's  festivals,  the  Matronalia,  in  Rome,  were  always  cele- 
brated with  great  pomp.  Less  important  feasts  were  held  in 
story  of  cieobis  eacn  city  where  a  temple  was  dedicated  to  her. 

and  Biton.  Qn  one  of  these  occasions  an  old  priestess  was  very 
anxious  to  go  to  the  temple  at  Argos,  where  she  had  ministered  to 
the  goddess  for  many  years,  and  which  she  had  left  only  to  be 
married.  The  way  was  long  and  dusty :  so  the  aged  woman,  who 
could  no  longer  walk  such  a  distance,  bade  her  sons,  Cieobis  and 
Biton,  harness  her  white  heifers  to  her  car.  The  youths  hastened 
to  do  her  bidding;  but,  although  they  searched  diligently,  the 
heifers  could  not  be  found.  Rather  than  disappoint  their  aged 
mother,  who  had  set  her  heart  upon  attending  the  services,  these 
kind-hearted  sons  harnessed  themselves  to  the  cart,  and  drew 
her  through  the  city  to  the  temple  gates,  amid  the  acclamations 
of  all  the  people,  who  admired  this  trait  of  filial  devotion. 

The  mother  was  so  touched  by  her  sons'  affection,  that,  as  she 
knelt  before  the  altar,  she  fervently  prayed  Juno  to  bestow  upon 
them  the  greatest  boon  in  her  power.  At  the  conclusion  of  the 
services  the  ex-priestess  went  into  the  portico,  where  her  sons 
had  thrown  themselves  to  rest  after  their  unwonted  exertions ; 
but  instead  of  finding  them  merely  asleep,  as  she  expected,  she 
found  them  dead.  The  Queen  of  Heaven  had  transported 
them  while  asleep  to  the  Elysian  Fields,  the  place  of  endless 
bliss,  where  such  as  they  enjoyed  endless  life. 


CHAPTER    IV. 

MINERVA. 

ALTHOUGH  immortal,  the  gods  were  not  exempt  from  physical 
pain.  One  day  Jupiter  suffered  intensely  from  a  sudden  head- 
ache, and,  in  hopes  that  some  mode  of  alleviation  Birth  of 
would  be  devised,  he  summoned  all  the  gods  to  Minerva. 
Olympus.  Their  united  efforts  were  vain,  however ;  and  even 
the  remedies  suggested  by  Apollo,  god  of  medicine,  proved  ineffi- 
cacious. Unwilling,  or  perchance  unable,  to  endure  the  racking 
pain  any  longer,  Jupiter  bade  one  of  his  sons,  Vulcan,  cleave 
his  head  open  with  an  ax.  With  cheerful  alacrity  the  dutiful 
god  obeyed ;  and  no  sooner  was  the  operation  performed,  than 
Minerva  (Pallas,  Athene)  sprang  out  of  her  father's  head,  full- 
grown,  clad  in  glittering  armor,  with  poised  spear,  and  chanting 
a  triumphant  song  of  victory. 

"  From  his  awful  head 
Whom  Jove  brought  forth,  in  warlike  armor  drest, 

Golden,  all  radiant.  " 

SHELLEY. 

The  assembled  gods  recoiled  in  fear  before  this  unexpected 
apparition,  while  at  the  same  time  a  mighty  commotion  over 
land  and  sea  proclaimed  the  advent  of  a  great  divinity. 

The  goddess,  who  had  thus  joined  the  inhabitants  of  Olympus, 
was  destined  to  preside  over  peace,  defensive  war,  and  needle- 
work, to  be  the  incarnation  of  wisdom,  and  to  put  to  flight  the 
obscure  deity  called  Dullness,  who  until  then  had  ruled  the  world, 

55 


(56) 


MINERVA. 
(National  Museum,  Naples.) 


MINERVA.  57 

"Ere  Pallas  issu'd  from  the  Thund'rer's  head, 
Dullness  o'er  all  possess'd  her  ancient  right, 
Daughter  of  Chaos  and  eternal  Night." 

POPE. 

Minerva,  having  forced  her  unattractive  predecessor  to  beat  an 
ignominious  retreat,  quickly  seized  the  scepter,  and  immediately 
began  to  rule  in  her  stead. 

Not  long  after   her   birth,   Cecrops,  a   Phoenician,   came   to 
Greece,  where  he  founded  a  beautiful  city  in  the  province  since 
called  Attica.     All  the  gods  watched  his  undertak-         Naming 
ing  with  great  interest ;  and  finally,  seeing  the  town        of  Athens, 
promised  to  become  a  thriving  place,  each  wished  the  privilege 
of  naming  it.     A  general  council  was  held,  and  after  some  de- 
liberation most  of  the  gods  withdrew  their  claims.     Soon  none 
but  Minerva  and  Neptune  were  left  to  contend  for  the  coveted 
honor. 

To  settle  the  quarrel  without  evincing  any  partiality,  Jupiter 
announced  that  the  city  would  be  intrusted  to  the  protection  of 
the  deity  who  would  create  the  most  useful  object  for  the  use  of 
man.  Raising  his  trident,  Neptune  struck  the  ground,  from  which 
a  noble  horse  sprang  forth,  amid  the  exclamations  of  wonder  and 
admiration  of  all  the  spectators.  His  qualities  were  duly  ex- 
plained by  his  proud  creator,  and  all  thought  it  quite  impossible 
for  Minerva  to  surpass  him.  Loudly  they  laughed,  and  scorn- 
fully too,  when  she,  in  her  turn,  produced  an  olive  tree ;  but 
when  she  had  told  them  the  manifold  uses  to  which  wood,  fruit, 
foliage,  twigs,  etc.,  could  be  applied,  and  explained  that  the 
olive  was  a  sign  of  peace  and  prosperity,  and  therefore  far  more 
desirable  than  the  horse,  the  emblem  of  war  and  wretchedness, 
they  could  but  acknowledge  her  gift  the  most  serviceable,  and 
award  her  the  prize. 

To  commemorate  this  victory  over  her  rival,  Minerva  gave 
her  own  name  of  Athene  to  the  city,  whose  inhabitants,  from 
that  time  -forth,  were  taught  to  honor  her  as  their  tutelary 
goddess. 


58  CLASSICAL  MYTHS. 

Ever  at  Jupiter's  side,  Minerva  often  aided  him  by  her  wise 
counsels,  and  in  times  of  war  borrowed  his  terrible  shield,  the 
y£gis,  which  she  flung  over  her  shoulder  when  she  sallied  forth 
to  give  her  support  to  those  whose  cause  was  just. 

"  Her  shoulder  bore 

The  dreadful  y£gis  with  its  shaggy  brim 
Bordered  with  Terror.     There  was  Strife,  and  there 
Was  Fortitude,  and  there  was  fierce  Pursuit, 
And  there  the  Gorgon's  head,  a  ghastly  sight, 
Deformed  and  dreadful,  and  a  sign  of  woe." 

HOMER  (Bryant's  tr.). 

The  din  of  battle  had  no  terrors  for  this  doughty  goddess, 
and  on  every  occasion  she  was  wont  to  plunge  into  the  thickest 
of  the  fray  with  the  utmost  valor. 

These  virile  tastes  were,  however,  fully  counterbalanced  by 
some  exclusively  feminine,  for  Minerva  was  as  deft  with  her 

story  of        needle  as  with  her  sword.     In  Greece  there  lived 

Arachne.  jn  those  oiden  times  a  maiden  by  the  name  of 
Arachne.  Pretty,  young,  and  winsome,  she  would  have  been 
loved  by  all  had  it  not  been  for  her  inordinate  pride,  not  in  her 
personal  advantages,  but  in  her  skill  as  a  needlewoman. 

Arachne,  in  her  conceit,  fancied  that  no  one  could  equal  the 
work  done  by  her  deft  fingers,  so  she  boasted  far  and  wide  that 
she  would  have  no  fear  to  match  her  skill  with  Minerva's.  She 
made  this  remark  so  loudly  and  so  frequently,  that  the  goddess  was 
finally  annoyed,  and  left  her  seat  in  high  Olympus  to  come  down 
upon  earth  and  punish  the  maiden.  In  the  guise  of  an  old 
crone,  she  entered  Arachne's  house,  seated  herself,  and  began 
a  conversation.  In  a  few  minutes  the  maiden  had  resumed 
her  usual  strain,  and  renewed  her  rash  boast.  Minerva  gently 
advised  her  to  be  more  modest,  lest  she  should  incur  the  wrath 
of  the  gods  by  her  presumptuous  words ;  but  Arachne  was  so 
blinded  by  her  conceit,  that  she  scorned  the  well-meant  warn- 
ing, saucily  tossed  her  head,  and  declared  she  wished  the  god- 
dess would  hear  her,  and  propose  a  contest,  in  which  she  would 


MINERVA.  59 

surely  be  able  to  prove  the  truth  of  her  assertions.  This  insolent 
speech  so  incensed  Minerva,  that  she  cast  aside  her  disguise  and 
accepted  the  challenge. 

Both  set  up  their  looms,  and  began  to  weave  exquisite  designs 
in  tapestry:  Minerva  choosing  as  her  subject  her  contest  with 
Neptune ;  and  Arachne,  the  kidnapping  of  Europa.  In  silence 
the  fair  weavers  worked,  and  their  webs  grew  apace  under  their 
practiced  fingers.  The  assembled  gods,  the  horse,  the  olive  tree, 
seemed  to  live  and  move  under  Minerva's  flashing  shuttle. 

"Emongst  these  leaves  she  made  a  Butterflie, 
With  excellent  device  and  wondrous  slight, 
Fluttring  among  the  Olives  wantonly, 
That  seem'd  to  live,  so  like  it  was  in  sight : 
The  velvet  nap  which  on  his  wings  doth  lie, 
The  silken  downe  with  which  his  backe  is  dight, 
His  broad  outstretched  homes,  his  hayrie  thies, 
His  glorious  colours,  and  his  glistering  eies." 

SPENSER. 

Arachne,  in  the  mean  while,  was  intent  upon  her  swimming 
bull,  against  whose  broad  breast  the  waves  splashed,  and  upon  a 
half-laughing,  half-frightened  girl,  who  clung  to  the  bull's  horns, 
while  the  wind  played  with  her  flowing  tresses  and  garments. 

"Sweet  Europa's  mantle  blew  unclasp'd, 
From  off  her  shoulder  backward  borne  : 
From  one  hand  droop'd  a  crocus :  one  hand  grasp'd 
The  mild  bull's  golden  horn." 

TENNYSON. 

The  finishing  touches  all  given,  each  turned  to  view  her 
rival's  work,  and  at  the  very  first  glance  Arachne  was  forced  to 
acknowledge  her  failure.  To  be  thus  outstripped,  after  all  her 
proud  boasts,  was  humiliating  indeed.  Bitterly  did  Arachne  now 
repent  of  her  folly ;  and  in  her  despair  she  bound  a  rope  about 
her  neck,  and  hung  herself.  Minerva  saw  her  discomfited  rival 
was  about  to  escape :  so  she  quickly  changed  her  dangling  body 


60  CLASSICAL  MYTHS. 

into  a  spider,  and  condemned  her  to  weave  and  spin  without 
ceasing,  —  a  warning  to  all  conceited  mortals. 

Minerva,  the  goddess  of  wisdom,  was  widely  worshiped.    Tem- 
ples   and    altars  without    number  were    dedicated    to   her  ser- 
Worship  of      vice,  the  most  celebrated  of  all  being  the  Parthenon 
Minerva.       at  Athens.     Naught  but  the  ruins  of  this  mighty 
pile  now  exist ;  but  they  suffice  to  testify  to  the  beauty  of  the 
edifice,  which  served,  in  turn,  as  temple,  church,  mosque,  and 
finally  as  powder  magazine. 

"Fair  Parthenon  !  yet  still  must  Fancy  weep 
For  thee,  thou  work  of  nobler  spirits  flo\vn. 
Bright,  as  of  old,  the  sunbeams  o'er  thee  sleep 
In  all  their  beauty  still  —  and  thine  is  gone  ! 
Empires  have  sunk  since  thou  wert  first  revered, 
And  varying  rites  have  sanctified  thy  shrine. 
The  dust  is  round  thee  of  the  race  that  rear'd 
Thy  walls;  and  thou — their  fate  must  soon  be  thine  !  " 

HEMANS. 

Statues  of  Minerva — a  beautiful,  majestic  woman,  fully  clothed 
and  armed — were  very  numerous.  The  most  celebrated  of  all,  by 
the  renowned  Greek  sculptor  Phidias,  measured  full  forty  feet  in 
height.  Festivals  were  celebrated  in  honor  of  Minerva  wherever 
her  worship  was  held,  —  some,  the  Greek  Panathenaea,  for  in- 
stance, only  every  four  years;  others,  such  as  the  Minervalia 
and  Quinquatria,  every  year.  At  these  festivals  the  Palladium,  a 
statue  of  the  goddess,  said  to  have  fallen  from  heaven,  was  car- 
ried in  procession  through  the  city,  where  the  people  hailed  its 
appearance  with  joyful  cries  and  songs  of  praise. 


CHAPTER  V. 

APOLLO. 

THE  most  glorious  and  beautiful  among  all  the  gods  was  Apollo 
(Phoebus,  Sol,  Helios,  Cynthius,  Pytheus),  god  of  the  sun,  of  medi- 
cine, music,  poetry,  and  all  fine  arts. 

"  Bright-hair'd  Apollo  !  —  thou  who  ever  art 
A  blessing  to  the  world  — whose  mighty  heart 
Forever  pours  out  love,  and  light,  and  life; 
Thou,  at  whose  glance,  all  things  of  earth  are  rife 
With  happiness;  to  whom,  in  early  spring, 
Bright  flowers  raise  up  their  heads,  where'er  they  cling 
On  the  steep  mountain  side,  or  in  the  vale 
Are  nestled  calmly.     Thou  at  whom  the  pale 
And  weary  earth  looks  up,  when  winter  flees, 
With  patient  gaze :   thou  for  whom  wind-stripped  trees 
Put  on  fresh  leaves,  and  drink  deep  of  the  light 
That  glitters  in  thine  eye :  thou  in  whose  bright 
And  hottest  rays  the  eagle  fills  his  eye 
With  quenchless  fire,  and  far,  far  up  on  high 
Screams  out  his  joy  to  thee,  by  all  the  names 
That  thou  dost  bear  —  whether  thy  godhead  claims 
Phoebus  or  Sol,  or  golden-hair'd  Apollo, 
Cynthian  or  Pythian,  if  thou  dost  follow 
The  fleeing  night,  oh,  hear 

Our  hymn  to  thee,  and  willingly  draw  near!  " 

PIKE. 

Apollo  was  the  son  of  Jupiter  and  Latona,  or  Leto,  the  god- 
dess of  dark  nights.  Juno's  jealousy  had  been  aroused  by 
Jupiter's  preference  for  her  rival.  To  avenge  herself,  she  banished 

61 


62  CLASSICAL   MYTHS. 

Latona  to  earth,  and  declared  that  if  any  one,  mortal  or  immor- 
tal, showed  her  any  pity  or  gave  her  any  assistance,  he  would 
incur  her  lasting  resentment. 

After  long,  painful  wanderings  on  earfti,  poor  Latona,  weary 
and  parched  with  thirst,  drew  near  a  small  pool  by  the  wayside 
to  refresh  herself;  but,  urged  by  Juno,  some  reapers  bade  her 
pass  on,  and  then,  seeing  she  paid  no  heed  to  their  commands, 
they  sprang  into  the  shallow  waters,  and  stirred  up  the  mud  at 
the  bottom  until  it  was  quite  unpalatable.  With  tear-dimmed 
eyes,  Latona  prayed  these  cruel  men  might  never  leave  the  spot 
whereon  they  now  stood ;  and  Jupiter,  in  answer  to  her  prayer, 
immediately  transformed  them  into  huge  green  frogs,  which  crea- 
tures have  since  then  showed  great  preference  for  muddy  pools. 

Driven  on  once  more  by  Juno's  unrelenting  hatred,  Latona 
finally  came  to  the  seashore,  where  she  stretched  out  imploring 
hands  to  Neptune,  who  sent  a  dolphin  to  bear  her  in  safety  to 
the  floating  island  of  Delos,  raised  in  her  behalf  from  the  depths 
of  the  sea.  The  rocking  motion,  however,  proving  disagreeable 
to  the  goddess,  Neptune  chained  the  island  fast  in  the  ^Egean 
Sea ;  and  there  in  that  delightful  climate,  justly  praised  by  poets, 
were  born  to  Jupiter  and  Latona  twin  children,  Apollo  and  Diana, 
the  divinities  of  the  sun  and  moon. 

Apollo,  having  attained  manhood,  could  not  avoid  the  usual 
lot  of  the  gods,  as  well  as  of  mortal  men,  —  the  pangs  of  love. 

Story  of        They  were  first  inspired  by  Coronis,  a  fair  maiden, 

Coroms.  wno  kjncne(j  within  his  breast  an  ardent  flame. 
The  sun  god  wooed  the  girl  warmly  and  persistently,  and  at  length 
had  the  deep  satisfaction  of  seeing  his  affections  returned.  His 
bliss,  however,  proved  but  fleeting ;  for  Coronis,  reasoning,  that, 
if  one  lover  were  so  delightful,  two  would  be  doubly  so,  secretly 
encouraged  another  suitor. 

"  Flirted  with  another  lover 

(So  at  least  the  story  goes) 
And  was  wont  to  meet  him  slyly, 
Underneath  the  blushing  rose." 

SAXE. 


APOLLO.  63 

Although  so  cleverly  managed,  these  trysts  could  not  escape 
the  bright  eyes  of  Apollo's  favorite  bird,  the  snowy  raven, — 
for  such  was  his  hue  in  those  early  times, —  so  he  flew  off  in 
haste  to  his  master  to  report  the  discovery  he  had  made.  Des- 
perate with  love  and  jealousy,  Apollo  did  not  hesitate,  but,  seiz- 
ing his  bow  and  deadly  arrows,  shot  Coronis  through  the  heart. 

The  deed  was  no  sooner  accomplished,  than  all  his  love  re- 
turned with  tenfold  power ;  and,  hastening  to  Coronis'  side,  he 
vainly  tried  all  his  remedies  (he  was  god  of  medicine)  to  recall 

her  to  life. 

"The  god  of  Physic 
Had  no  antidote ;  alack  ! 
He  who  took  her  off  so  deftly 

Couldn't  bring  the  maiden  back  !  " 

SAXE. 

Bending  over  the  lifeless  body  of  his  beloved  one,  he  bewailed 
his  fatal  haste,  and  cursed  the  bird  who  had  brought  him  the 
unwelcome  tidings  of  her  faithlessness. 

"  Then  he  turned  upon  the  Raven, 

'  Wanton  babbler  !  see  thy  fate  ! 
Messenger  of  mine  no  longer, 
Go  to  Hades  with  thy  prate ! 

"  '  Weary  Pluto  with  thy  tattle  ! 

Hither,  monster,  come  not  back; 
And  —  to  match  thy  disposition  — 
Henceforth  be  thy  plumage  black  !  ' " 

SAXE. 

The  only  reminder  of  this  unfortunate  episode  was  a  young 
son  of  Apollo  and  Coronis,  ^sculapius  (Asklepios),  who  was 
carefully  instructed  by  Apollo  in  the  healing  art. 

.  iEsculapius. 

Ihe  disciples  talent  was  so  great,  that  he  soon 
rivaled  his  master,  and  even,  it  is  said,  recalled  the  dead  to  life. 
Of  course,  these  miracles  did  not  long  remain  concealed  from 
Jupiter's  all-seeing  eye;  and  he,  fearing  lest  the  people  would 


64  CLASSICAL  MYTHS. 

forget  him  and  worship  their  physician,  seized  one  of  his  thun- 
derbolts, hurled  it  at  the  clever  youth,  and  thus  brought  to  an 
untimely  end  his  brilliant  medical  career. 

"Then  Jove,  incensed  that  man  should  rise 
From  darkness  to  the  upper  skies, 
The  leech  that  wrought  such  healing  hurled 
With  lightning  down  to  Pluto's  world." 

VlRGIL  (Conington's  tr.). 

^Esculapius'  race  was  not  entirely  extinct,  however,  for  he  left 
two  sons  —  Machaon  and  Podalirius,  who  inherited  his  medical 
skill  —  and  a  daughter,  Hygeia,  who  watched  over  the  health  of 
man. 

Maddened  with  grief  at  the  unexpected  loss  of  his  son,  Apollo 

would  fain  have  wreaked  his  vengeance  upon  the  Cyclopes,  the 

Admetus  and     authors  of  the  fatal  thunderbolt ;  but  ere  he  could 

Aicestis.  execute  his  purpose,  Jupiter  interfered,  and,  to  pun- 
ish him,  banished  him  to  earth,  where  he  entered  the  service  of 
Admetus,  King  of  Thessaly.  One  consolation  alone  now  remained 
to  the  exiled  god,  —  his  music.  His  dulcet  tones  soon  won  the 
admiration  of  his  companions,  and  even  that  of  the  king,  who 
listened  to  his  songs  with  pleasure,  and  to  reward  him  gave  him 
the  position  of  head  shepherd. 

"  Then  King  Admetus,  one  who  had 

Pure  taste  by  right  divine, 
Decreed  his  singing  not  too  bad 
To  hear  between  the  cups  of  wine : 

"  And  so,  well  pleased  with  being  soothed 

Into  a  sweet  half  sleep 
Three  times  his  kingly  beard  he  smoothed 
And  made  him  viceroy  o'er  his  sheep." 

LOWELL." 

Time  passed.  Apollo,  touched  by  his  master's  kindness,  wished 
to  bestow  some  favor  in  his  turn,  and  asked  the  gods  to  grant 
Admetus  eternal  life.  His  request  was  complied  with,  but  only  on 


APOLLO.  65 

condition,  that,  when  the  time  came  which  had  previously  been 
appointed  for  the  good  king's  death,  some  one  should  be  found 
willing  to  die  in  his  stead.  This  divine  decree  was  reported  to 
Alcestis,  Admetus'  beautiful  young  wife,  who  in  a  passion  of  self- 
sacrifice  offered  herself  as  substitute,  and  cheerfully  gave  her 
life  for  her  husband.  But  immortality  was  too  dearly  bought  at 
such  a  price ;  and  Admetus  mourned  until  Hercules,  pitying  his 
grief,  descended  into  Hades,  and  brought  her  back  from  the 

tomb. 

"  Did  not  Hercules  by  force 
Wrest  from  the  guardian  Monster  of  the  tomb 
Alcestis,  a  reanimated  Corse, 
Given  back  to  dwell  on  earth  in  vernal  bloom  ?  " 

WORDSWORTH. 

Apollo,  after  endowing  Admetus  with  immortality,  left  his  ser- 
vice, and  went  to  assist  Neptune,  who  had  also  been  banished 
to  earth,  to  build  the  walls  of  Troy.     Scorning  to     The  wans  Of 
perform  any  menial  tasks,  the  God  of  Music  seated          Troy> 
himself  near  by,  and  played  such  inspiring  tunes  that  the  stones 
waltzed  into  place  of  their  own  accord. 

Then,  his  term  of  exile  being  ended,  he  returned  to  heaven, 
and  there  resumed  his  wonted  duties.  From  his  exalted  posi- 
tion he  often  cast  loving  glances  down  upon  men,  Apollo  slays 
whose  life  he  had  shared  for  a  short  time,  whose  Python, 
every  privation  he  had  endured ;  and,  in  answer  to  their  prayers, 
he  graciously  extended  his  protection  over  them,  and  delivered 
them  from  misfortunes  too  numerous  to  mention.  Among  other 
deeds  done  for  men  was  the  slaying  of  the  monster  serpent 
Python,  born  from  the  slime  and  stagnant  waters  which  remained 
upon  the  surface  of  the  earth  after  the  Deluge.  None  had  dared 
approach  the  monster ;  but  Apollo  fearlessly  drew  near,  and 
slew  him  with  his  golden  shafts.  The  victory  over  the  terrible 
Python  won  for  Apollo  the  surname  of  Pytheus  (the  Slayer),  by 
which  appellation  he  was  frequently  invoked. 

This  annihilation  of  Python  is,  of  course,  nothing  but  an  alle- 


(66) 


APOLLO   BELVEDERE. 
( Vatican,  Rome.) 


APOLLO.  67 

gory,  illustrating  the  sun's  power  to  dry  up  marshes  and  stag- 
nant pools,  thus  preventing  the  lurking  fiend  malaria  from  making 
further  inroads. 

Apollo  has  always  been  a  favorite  subject  for  painters  and 
sculptors.  The  most  beautiful  statue  of  him  is  the  Apollo  Belve- 
dere, which  represents  him  at  the  moment  of  his  conquest  of  the 
Python. 

Although  successful  in  war,  Apollo  was  very  unfortunate  indeed 
in  friendship.  One  day  he  came  down  to  earth  to  enjoy  the 
society  of  a  youth  of  mortal  birth,  named  Hya-  Apollo  and 
cinthus.  To  pass  the  time  agreeably,  the  friends  Hyacinthus. 
began  a  game  of  quoits,  but  had  not  played  long,  before  Zephy- 
rus,  god  of  the  south  wind,  passing  by,  saw  them  thus  occu- 
pied. Jealous  of  Apollo,  for  he  too  loved  Hyacinthus,  Zephy- 
rus  blew  Apollo's  quoit  aside  so  violently  that  it  struck  his 
playmate,  and  felled  him  to  the  ground.  Vainly  Apollo  strove 
to  check  the  stream  of  blood  which  flowed  from  the  ghastly 
wound.  Hyacinthus  was  already  beyond  aid,  and  in  a  few  sec- 
onds breathed  his  last  in  his  friend's  arms.  To  keep  some  re- 
minder of  the  departed,  Apollo  changed  the  fallen  blood  drops 
into  clusters  of  flowers,  ever  since  called,  from  the  youth's  name, 
hyacinths ;  while  Zephyrus,  perceiving  too  late  the  fatal  effect 
of  his  jealousy,  hovered  inconsolable  over  the  sad  spot,  and 
tenderly  caressed  the  dainty  flowers  which  had  sprung  from  his 
friend's  lifeblood. 

"  Zephyr  penitent, 

Who  now,  ere  Phoebus  mounts  the  firmament, 
Fondles  the  flower." 

KEATS. 

To  divert  his  mind  from  the  mournful  fate  of  Hyacinthus, 
Apollo  sought  the  company  of  Cyparissus,  a  clever  young  hunter ; 
but  this  friendship  was  also  doomed  to  a  sad  end,      Apollo  and 
for  Cyparissus,  having  accidentally  killed  Apollo's      Cyparissus. 
pet  stag,  grieved  so  sorely  over  this  mischance,  that  he  pined  away, 
and  finally  died.      Apollo  then  changed  his  lifeless  clay  into  a 


68  CLASSICAL  MYTHS. 

cypress  tree,  which  he  declared  should  .henceforth  be  used 
to  shade  the  graves  of  those  who  had  been  greatly  beloved 
through  life. 

Some  time  after  this  episode,  Apollo  encountered  in  the  for- 
est a  beautiful  nymph  by  the  name  of  Daphne,  the  daughter  of 

Apollo  and  the  river  god  Peneus.  Love  at  first  sight  was  the 
Daphne.  immediate  consequence  on  Apollo's  part,  and  he 
longed  to  speak  to  the  maid  and  win  her  affections.  He  first 
tried  to  approach  her  gently,  so  as  not  to  frighten  her ;  but,  before 
he  could  reach  her  side,  she  fled,  and  he,  forgetful  of  all  else, 
pursued  her  flying  footsteps.  As  he  ran,  he  called  aloud  to 
Daphne,  entreating  her  to  pause  were  it  only  for  a  moment,  and 
promising  to  do  her  no  harm. 

"Abate,  fair  fugitive,  abate  thy  speed, 
Dismiss  thy  fears,  and  turn  thy  beauteous  head; 
With  kind  regard  a  panting  lover  view ; 
Less  swiftly  fly,  less  swiftly  I'll  pursue : 
Pathless,  alas!  and  rugged  is  the  ground, 
Some  stone  may  hurt  thee,  or  some  thorn  may  wound. 


"  You  fly,  alas  !  not  knowing  whom  you  fly ; 
No  ill-bred  swain,  nor  rustic  clown,  am  I." 


PRIOR. 


The  terrified  girl  paid  no  heed  to  promises  or  entreaties,  but 
sped  on  until  her  strength  began  to  fail,  and  she  perceived,  that, 
notwithstanding  her  utmost  efforts,  her  pursuer  was  gaining  upon 
her.  Panting  and  trembling,  she  swerved  aside,  and  rushed  down 
to  the  edge  of  her  father's  stream,  calling  out  loudly  for  his  pro- 
tection. No  sooner  had  she  reached  the  water's  edge,  than  her 
feet  seemed  rooted  to  the  ground.  A  rough  bark  rapidly  inclosed 
her  quivering  limbs,  while  her  trembling  hands  were  filled  with 
leaves.  Her  father  had  granted  her  prayer  by  changing  her  into 
a  laurel  tree. 

Apollo,  coming  up  just  then  with  outstretched  arms,  clasped 
nothing  but  a  rugged  tree  trunk.  At  first  he  could  not  realize 
that  the  fair  maiden  had  vanished  from  his  sight  forever ;  but, 


APOLLO  AND  DAPHNE.  — Bernini. 
(Villa  Borghese,  Rome.) 


(69) 


70  CLASSICAL  MYTHS. 

when  the  truth  dawned  upon  him,  he  declared  that  from  hence- 
forth the  laurel  would  be  considered  his  favorite  tree,  and  that 
prizes  awarded  to  poets,  musicians,  etc.,  should  consist  of  a 
wreath  of  its  glossy  foliage. 

"  I  espouse  thee  for  my  tree: 
Be  thou  the  prize  of  honor  and  renown ; 
The  deathless  poet,  and  the  poem,  crown  ; 
Thou  shalt  the  Roman  festivals  adorn, 
And,  after  poets,  be  by  victors  worn." 

OVID  (Dryden's  tr.). 

This  story  of  Apollo  and  Daphne  was  an  illustration  of  the 
effect  produced  by  the  sun  (Apollo)  upon  the  dew  (Daphne). 
The  sun  is  captivated  by  its  beauty,  and  longs  to  view  it  more 
closely ;  the  dew,  afraid  of  its  ardent  lover,  flies,  and,  when  its 
fiery  breath  touches  it,  vanishes,  leaving  nothing  but  verdure  in 
the  selfsame  spot  where  but  a  moment  before  it  sparkled  in  all 
its  purity. 

The  ancients  had  many  analogous  stories,  allegories  of  the  sun 
and  dew,  amongst  others  the  oft-quoted  tale  of  Cephalus  and 
Cephaius  and  Procris.  Cephalus  was  a  hunter,  who  fell  in  love 
Procris.  wjt^  ancj  marrjec[  one  of  Diana's  nymphs,  Procris. 
She  brought  him  as  dowry  a  hunting  dog,  Lelaps,  and  a  javelin 
warranted  never  to  miss  its  mark.  The  newly  married  pair  were 
perfectly  happy ;  but  their  content  was  viewed  with  great  dis- 
pleasure by  Eos  (Aurora),  goddess  of  dawn,  who  had  previously 
tried,  but  without  success,  to  win  Cephalus'  affections,  and  who 
now  resolved  to  put  an  end  to  the  bliss  she  envied. 

All  day  long  Cephalus  hunted  in  the  forest,  and,  when  the 
evening  shadows  began  to  fall,  joined  his  loving  wife  in  their 
cozy  dwelling.  Her  marriage  gifts  proved  invaluable,  as  Lelaps 
was  swift  of  foot,  and  tireless  in  the  chase.  One  day,  to  test  his 
powers,  the  gods  from  Olympus  watched  him  course  a  fox,  a 
special  creation  of  theirs  ;  and  so  well  were  both  animals  matched 
in  speed  and  endurance,  that  the  chase  bade  fair  to  end  only 
with  the  death  of  one  or  both  of  the  participants.  The  gods,  in 


APOLLO.  71 

their  admiration  for  the  fine  run,  declared  the  animals  deserved 
to  be  remembered  forever,  and  changed  them  into  statues,  which 
retained  all  the  spirited  action  of  the  living  creatures. 

In  the  warm  season,  when  the  sun  became  oppressive,  Cepha- 
lus  was  wont  to  rest  during  the  noon  hour  in  some  shady  spot, 
and  as  he  flung  himself  down  upon  the  short  grass  he  often  called 
for  a  breeze,  bidding  it  cool  his  heated  brow. 

"A  hunter  once  in  that  grove  reclin'd, 

To  shun  the  noon's  bright  eye, 
And  oft  he  woo'd  the  wandering  wind, 

To  cool  his  brow  with  its  sigh. 
While  mute  lay  ev'n  the  wild  bee's  hum, 
Nor  breath  could  stir  the  aspen's  hair, 
His  song  was  still,  '  Sweet  air,  oh  come  ! ' 
While  Echo  answer'd,  '  Come,  sweet  air  ! '  " 

MOORE. 

Eos  heard  of  this  habit,  and  was  fully  aware  that  he  merely 
addressed  the  passing  wind  ;  nevertheless  she  sought  Procris,  and 
informed  her  that  her  husband  was  faithless,  and  paid  court  to  a 
fair  maid,  who  daily  met  him  at  noonday  in  the  forest  solitudes. 
Procris,  blinded  by  sudden  jealousy,  gave  credit  to  the  false 
story,  and  immediately  resolved  to  follow  her  husband. 

The  morning  had  well-nigh  passed,  and  the  sun  was  darting 
its  perpendicular  rays  upon  the  earth,  when  Cephalus  came  to 
his  usual  resort,  near  which  Procris  was  concealed. 

"  Sweet  air,  oh  come  !  "  the  hunter  cried  ;  and  Procris,  cut  to 
the  heart  by  what  she  considered  an  infallible  proof  of  his  infi- 
delity, sank  fainting  to  the  ground.  The  rustle  caused  by  her 
swoon  attracted  Cephalus'  attention.  Under  the  mistaken  im- 
pression that  some  wild  beast  was  lurking  there,  ready  to  pounce 
upon  him,  he  cast  his  unerring  javelin  into  the  very  midst  of 
the  thicket,  and  pierced  the  faithful  bosom  of  his  wife.  Her  dying 
moan  brought  him  with  one  bound  to  her  side ;  ere  she  breathed 
her  last,  an  explanation  was  given  and  received :  and  Pro- 
cris died  with  the  blissful  conviction  that  her  husband  had  not 


72  CLASSICAL  MYTHS. 

deserved  her  unjust  suspicions,  and  that  his  heart  was  all  her 
own. 

There  are,  of  course,  many  other  versions  of  these  selfsame 
myths  ;  but  one  and  all  are  intended  to  illustrate  the  same  natural 
phenomena,  and  are  subject  to  the  same  interpretation. 

Apollo's  principal  duty  was  to  drive  the  sun  chariot.  Day  after 
day  he  rode  across  the  azure  sky,  nor  paused  on  his  way  till 
he  reached  the  golden  boat  awaiting  him  at  the  end  of  his  long 
day's  journey,  to  bear  him  in  safety  back  to  his  eastern  palace. 

"  Helios  all  day  long  his  allotted  labor  pursues; 

No  rest  to  his  passionate  heart  and  his  panting  horses  given, 
From  the  moment  when  roseate-fingered  Eos  kindles  the  dews 

And  spurns  the  salt  sea-floors,  ascending  silvery  the  heaven, 
Until  from  the  hand  of  Eos  Hesperos,  trembling,  receives 

His  fragrant  lamp,  and  faint  in  the  twilight  hangs  it  up." 

OWEN  MEREDITH. 

A  fair  young  maiden,  named  Clytie,  watched  Apollo's  daily 

journey  with  strange  persistency ;  and  from  the  moment  when  he 

left  his  palace  in  the  morning  until  he  came  to  the 

far  western  sea  in  the  evening,  she  followed  his 

course  with  loving  eyes,  thought  of  the  golden-haired  god,  and 

longed  for  his  love.     But,  in  spite  of  all  this  fervor,  she  never  won 

favor  in  Apollo's  eyes,  and  languished  until  the  gods,  in  pity, 

changed  her  into  a  sunflower. 

Even  in  this  altered  guise,  Clytie  could  not  forget  the  object 
of  her  love ;  and  now,  a  fit  emblem  of  constancy,  she  still  follows 
with  upturned  face  the  glowing  orb  in  its  daily  journey  across 
the  sky. 

"  No,  the  heart  that  has  truly  lov'd  never  forgets, 

But  as  truly  loves  on  to  the  close ; 
As  the  sunflower  turns  on  her  god  when  he  sets 
The  same  look  which  she  turn'd  when  he  rose." 

MOORE. 

A  young  shepherd,  lying  in  the  cool  grass  one  summer  after- 
noon, became  aware  of  a  distant  sound  of  music,  so  sweet,  so 


APOLLO.  73 

thrilling,  that  he  fairly  held  his  breath  to  listen.     These  weird, 
delightful  tones  were  produced  by  Minerva,  who,  seated  by  the 
banks  of  a  small  stream,  was  trying  her  skill  on      Apollo  and 
the  flute.    As  she  bent  over  the  limpid  waters,  she        Marsyas. 
suddenly  beheld  her  puffed  cheeks  and  distorted  features,  and 
impetuously  threw  the  instrument  into  the  water,  vowing  never 
to  touch  it  again. 

"  Hence,  ye  banes  of  beauty,  hence  ! 
What?  shall  I  my  charms  disgrace 
By  making  such  an  odious  face?" 

MELAMPPIDKS. 

The  sudden  break  in  the  entrancing  music  caused  the  youth, 
Marsyas,  to  start  from  his  abstraction  and  look  about  him. 
He  then  perceived  the  rejected  flute  sailing  gently  down  the 
stream  past  his  feet.  To  seize  the  instrument  and  convey  it  to 
his  lips  was  the  work  of  an  instant;  and  no  sooner  had  he 
breathed  into  it,  than  the  magic  strain  was  renewed.  No  recol- 
lection of  his  pastoral  duties  could  avail  to  tear  Marsyas  away 
from  his  new-found  treasure ;  and  so  rapidly  did  his  skill  in- 
crease, that  he  became  insufferably  conceited,  and  boasted  he 
could  rival  Apollo,  whom  he  actually  challenged  to  a  musical 
contest. 

Intending  to  punish  him  for  his  presumption,  Apollo  accepted 
the  challenge,  and  selected  the  nine  Muses  —  patronesses  of 
poetry  and  music  —  as  umpires.  Marsyas  was  first  called  upon 
to  exhibit  his  proficiency,  and  charmed  all  by  his  melodious 
strains. 

"  So  sweet  that  alone  the  south  wind  knew, 
By  summer  hid  in  green  reeds'  jointed  cells 
To  wait  imprisoned  for  the  south  wind's  spells, 
From  out  his  reedy  flute  the  player  drew, 
And  as  the  music  clearer,  louder  grew, 
Wild  creatures  from  their  winter  nooks  and  dells, 
Sweet  furry  things  with  eyes  like  starry  wells, 
Crept  wanderingly  out ;  they  thought  the  south  wind  blew. 


74  CLASSICAL  MYTHS. 

With  instant  joyous  trust,  they  flocked  around 

His  feet  who  such  a  sudden  summer  made, 

His  eyes,  more  kind  than  men's,  enthralled  and  bound 

Them  there." 

H.  H. 

The  Muses  bestowed  much  deserved  praise,  and  then  bade 
Apollo  surpass  his  rival  if  he  could.  No  second  command  was 
necessary.  The  god  seized  his  golden  lyre,  and  poured  forth  im- 
passioned strains.  Before  pronouncing  their  decision,  the  Muses 
resolved  to  give  both  musicians  a  second  hearing,  and  again  both 
strove ;  but  on  this  occasion  Apollo  joined  the  harmonious  ac- 
cents of  his  godlike  voice  to  the  tones  of  his  instrument,  causing 
all  present,  and  the  very  Muses  too,  to  hail  him  as  conqueror. 

"  And,  when  now  the  westering  sun 
Touch'd  the  hills,  the  strife  was  done, 
And  the  attentive  Muses  said  : 
'  Marsyas,  thou  art  vanquished  ! ' ' 

MATTHEW  ARNOLD. 

According  to  a  previous  arrangement, —  that  the  victor  should 
have  the  privilege  of  flaying  his  opponent  alive,  —  Apollo  bound 
Marsyas  to  a  tree,  and  slew  him  cruelly.  As  soon  as  the  moun- 
tain nymphs  heard  of  their  favorite's  sad  death,  they  began  to 
weep,  and  shed  such  torrents  of  tears,  that  they  formed  a  new 
river,  called  Marsyas,  in  memory  of  the  sweet  musician. 

The  mournful  termination  of  this  affair  should  have  served  as 

a  warning  to  all  rash  mortals.     Such  was  not  the  case,  however ; 

Apollo         and  shortly  after,  Apollo  found  himself  engaged  in 

and  Pan.  another  musical  contest  with  Pan,  King  Midas' 
favorite  flute  player.  Upon  this  occasion  Midas  himself  retained 
the  privilege  of  awarding  the  prize,  and,  blinded  by  partiality, 
gave  it  to  Pan,  in  spite  of  the  marked  inferiority  of  his  playing. 
Apollo  was  so  incensed  by  this  injustice,  that  he  determined  to 
show  his  opinion  of  the  dishonest  judge  by  causing  generous-sized 
ass's  ears  to  grow  on  either  side  of  his  head. 


APOLLO.  75 

"  The  god  of  wit,  to  show  his  grudge, 
Clapt  asses'  ears  upon  the  judge; 
A  goodly  pair,  erect  and  wide, 
Which  he  could  neither  gild  nor  hide." 

SWIFT. 

Greatly  dismayed  by  these  new  ornaments,  Midas  retreated 
into  the  privacy  of  his  own  apartment,  and  sent  in  hot  haste  for 
a  barber,  who,  after  having  been  sworn  to  secrecy,  was  admitted, 
and  bidden  to  fashion  a  huge  wig,  which  would  hide  the  deform- 
ity from  the  eyes  of  the  king's  subjects.  The  barber  acquitted 
himself  deftly,  and,  before  he  was  allowed  to  leave  the  palace,  was 
again  charged  not  to  reveal  the  secret,  under  penalty  of  imme- 
diate death. 

But  a  secret  is  difficult  to  keep ;  and  this  one,  of  the  king's 
long  ears,  preyed  upon  the  poor  barber's  spirits,  so  that,  in- 
capable of  enduring  silence  longer,  he  sallied  out  into  a  field, 
dug  a  deep  hole,  and  shouted  down  into  the  bosom  of  the 
earth,  — 

"  '  King  Midas  wears 
(These  eyes  beheld  them,  these)  such  ass's  ears  ! ' " 

HORACE. 

Unspeakably  relieved  by  this  performance,  the  barber  returned 
home.  Time  passed.  Reeds  grew  over  the  hole,  and,  as  they 
bent  before  the  wind  which  rustled  through  their  leaves,  they 
were  heard  to  murmur,  "  Midas,  King  Midas,  has  ass's  ears  ! " 
and  all  who  passed  by  caught  the  whisper,  and  noised  it  abroad, 
so  that  the  secret  became  the  general  topic  of  all  conversations. 

As  Apollo  had  frequent  opportunities  of  meeting  the  Muses, 
it  is  not  to  be  wondered  at  that  he  fell  a  victim  to  the  charms  of 
the  fair  Calliope,  who,  in  her  turn,  loved  him  pas-     Orpheus  and 
sionately,   and   even   wrote    verses   in  his  honor.       Eurydice. 
This  being  the  state  of  her  feelings,  she  readily  consented  to  their 
union,  and  became  the  proud  mother  of  Orpheus,  who  inherited 
his  parents'  musical  and  poetical  gifts. 


76  CLASSICAL   MYTHS. 

''Orpheus  with  his  lute  made  trees, 
And  the  mountain-tops,  that  freeze, 

Bow  themselves  when  he  did  sing: 
To  his  music  plants  and  flowers 
Ever  sprung;   as  sun  and  showers 

There  had  made  a  lasting  spring. 

"  Everything  that  heard  him  play, 
Even  the  billows  of  the  sea, 

Hung  their  heads,  and  then  lay  by." 

SHAKESPEARE. 

This  talent  waxed  greater  as  the  years  passed  by,  and  became 
so  remarkable,  that  the  youth's  fame  was  very  widespread ;  and 
when  he  fell  in  love  with  Eurydice,  he  brought  all  his  skill  into 
play  to  serenade  her,  and  wooed  her  with  voice  and  glance  and 
with  tender,  passionate  music.  Eurydice  was  touched  by  his 
courtship,  and  ere  long  requited  the  love  lavished  upon  her  by 
conferring  her  hand  upon  Orpheus. 

Shortly  after  their  union,  while  walking  alone  in  the  fields,  the 
bride  encountered  a  youth  named  Aristeeus,  whose  bold  admira- 
tion proved  so  distasteful,  that  she  fled  from  him  as  quickly  as 
possible.  In  her  haste  she  accidentally  trod  upon  a  venomous 
serpent  lurking  in  the  long  grass,  which  immediately  turned  upon 
her,  and  bit  her  heel.  A  short  period  of  agonized  suffering 
ensued ;  then  Eurydice  died,  and  her  spirit  was  conducted  down 
into  the  gloomy  realms  of  Pluto,  leaving  Orpheus  broken-hearted. 

Plaintive,  heartrending  laments  now  replaced  the  joyous  wed- 
ding strains ;  but  even  the  charms  of  music  failed  to  make  life 
endurable,  and  Orpheus  wandered  off  to  Olympus,  where  he  so 
piteously  implored  Jupiter  to  restore  his  wife  to  his  longing  arms, 
that  the  great  god's  heart  was  moved  to  compassion.  He  gave 
him  permission,  therefore,  to  go  down  into  the  Infernal  Regions 
to  seek  his  wife,  but  warned  him  at  the  same  time  that  the  under- 
taking was  perilous  in  the  extreme. 

Nothing  daunted,  Orpheus  hastened  to  the  entrance  of  Hades, 
and  there  saw  the  fierce  three-headed  dog,  named  Cerberus,  who 


APOLLO.  77 

guarded  the  gate,  and  would  allow  no  living  being  to  enter,  nor 
any  spirit  to  pass  out  of  Hades.  As  soon  as  this  monster  saw 
Orpheus,  he  began  to  growl  and  bark  savagely,  to  frighten  him 
away  ;  but  Orpheus  merely  paused,  and  began  to  play  such  melt- 
ing chords,  that  Cerberus'  rage  was  appeased,  and  he  finally 
allowed  him  to  pass  into  Pluto's  dark  kingdom. 

The  magic  sounds  penetrated  even  into  the  remote  depths 
of  Tartarus,  where  the  condemned  suspended  their  toil  for  a 
moment,  and  hushed  their  sighs  and  groans  to  listen. 

"  E'en  Tantalus  ceased  from  trying  to  sip 
The  cup  that  flies  from  his  arid  lip ; 
Ixion,  too,  the  magic  could  feel, 
And,  for  a  moment,  blocked  his  wheel; 
Poor  Sisyphus,  doomed  to  tumble  and  toss 
The  notable  stone  that  gathers  no  moss, 
Let  go  his  burden,  and  turned  to  hear 
The  charming  sounds  that  ravished  his  ear." 

SAXE. 

No  living  being  had  ever  before  penetrated  thus  into  the  Infernal 
Regions,  and  Orpheus  wandered  on  until  he  came  to  the  throne  of 
Pluto,  king  of  these  realms,  whereon  the  stern  ruler  sat  in  silence, 
his  wife  Proserpina  beside  him,  and  the  relentless  Fates  at  his  feet. 

Orpheus  made  known  his  errand  in  operatic  guise,  and  suc- 
ceeded in  moving  the  royal  pair  to  tears,  whereupon  they  gra- 
ciously consented  to  restore  Eurydice  to  life  and  to  her  fond 

husband's  care. 

"  Hell  consented 
To  hear  the  Poet's  prayer : 
Stern  Proserpine  relented, 
And  gave  him  back  the  fair. 
Thus  song  could  prevail 
O'er  death,  and  o'er  hell, 
A  conquest  how  hard  and  how  glorious  ! 
Tho'  fate  had  fast  bound  her 
With  Styx  nine  times  round  her, 
Yet  music  and  love  were  victorious." 

POPE. 


ORPHEUS  AND  EURYDICE.—  Beyschlag. 


APOLLO.  79 

But  one  condition  was  imposed  before  he  was  allowed  to  de- 
part ;  i.e.,  that  he  should  leave  the  Infernal  Regions  without 
turning  once  to  look  into  his  beloved  wife's  face. 

Orpheus  accepted  the  condition  joyfully,  and  wended  his  way 
out  of  Hades,  looking  neither  to  the  right  nor  to  the  left,  but 
straight  before  him ;  and  as  he  walked  he  wondered  whether 
Eurydice  were  changed  by  her  sojourn  in  these  rayless  depths. 
His  longing  to  feast  his  eyes  once  more  upon  her  loved  features 
made  him  forget  the  condition  imposed  by  Pluto,  and  turn  just 
before  he  reached  the  earth ;  but  he  only  beheld  the  vanishing 
form  of  the  wife  he  had  so  nearly  snatched  from  the  grave. 

All  was  now  over.  He  had  tried  and  failed.  No  hope  re- 
mained. In  despair,  the  lonely  musician  retreated  to  the  forest 
solitudes,  and  there  played  his  mournful  laments.,  — 

"  Such  strains  as  would  have  won  the  ear 
Of  Pluto,  to  have  quite  set  free 
His  half- regained  Eurydice." 

LOWELL. 

But  there  were  none  to  hear  except  the  trees,  winds,  and  wild 
beasts  in  the  forest,  who  strove  in  their  dumb  way  to  comfort 
him  as  he  moved  restlessly  about,  seeking  a  solace  for  his  burst- 
ing heart.  At  times  it  seemed  to  his  half-delirious  fancy  that 
he  could  discern  Eurydice  wandering  about  in  the  dim  distance, 
with  the  selfsame  mournful  expression  of  which  he  had  caught 
a  mere  glimpse  as  she  drifted  reluctantly  back  into  the  dark 
shadows  of  Hades. 

"  At  that  elm-vista's  end  I  trace 
Dimly  thy  sad  leave-taking  face, 
Eurydice  !  Eurydice ! 
The  tremulous  leaves  repeat  to  me 

Eurydice  !  Eurydice  !  " 

LOWELL. 

At  last  there  dawned  a  day  when  some  Bacchantes  overtook 
him  in  the  forest,  and  bade  him  play  some  gay  music,  so  they 


8o  CLASSICAL   MYTHS. 

might  indulge  in  a  dance.  But  poor  Orpheus,  dazed  with  grief, 
could  not  comply  with  their  demands ;  and  the  sad  notes  which 
alone  he  now  could  draw  from  his  instrument  so  enraged  the 
merrymakers,  that  they  tore  him  limb  from  limb,  and  cast  his 
mangled  remains  into  the  Hebrus  River. 

As  the  poet-musician's  head  floated  down  the  stream,  the 
pallid  lips  still  murmured,  "  Eurydice  ! "  for  even  in  death  he 
could  not  forget  his  wife  ;  and,  as  his  spirit  drifted  on  to  join  her, 
he  incessantly  called  upon  her  name,  until  the  brooks,  trees,  and 
fountains  he  had  loved  so  well  caught  up  the  longing  cry,  and 
repeated  it  again  and  again. 

Nothing  was  now  left  to  remind  mortals  of  the  sweet  singer 
who  had  thus  perished,  except  his  lute,  which  the  gods  placed 
in  the  heavens  as  a  bright  constellation,  Lyra,  also  called  by 
Orpheus'  name. 

Another  musician  celebrated  in  mythological  annals  is  Am- 
phion,  whose  skill  was  reported  to  be  but  little  inferior  to 
Orpheus'. 

"'Tis  said  he  had  a  tuneful  tongue, 

Such  happy  intonation, 
Wherever  he  sat  down  and  sung 

He  left  a  small  plantation ; 
Wherever  in  a  lonely  grove 

He  set  up  his  forlorn  pipes, 
The  gouty  oak  began  to  move, 
And  flounder  into  hornpipes." 

TENNYSON. 

This   musician,  a  son  of   Jupiter  and  Antiope,  had   a  twin 
brother  Zethus,  who,  however,  shared  none  of  his  artistic  tastes. 
Story  of        Hearing  that    their   mother   Antiope    had    been 
Amphion.       repudiated  by  her  second  husband,  Lycus,  so  that 
he  might  marry  another  wife  by  the  name  of  Dirce,  these  youths 
hastened  off  to  Thebes,  where  they  found  the  state  of   affairs 
even  worse  than  represented ;   for  poor  Antiope  was   now  im- 
prisoned, and  subject  to  her  rival's  daily  cruel  treatment. 


FARNESE   BULL. 
(National  Museum,  Naples.) 


(Si) 


82  CLASSICAL   MYTHS. 

Zethus  and  Amphion,  after  besieging  and  taking  the  city,  put 
Lycus  to  death,  and,  binding  Dirce  to  the  tail  of  a  wild  bull,  let 
him  loose  to  drag  her  over  briers  and  stones  until  she  perished. 
This  punishment  inflicted  upon  Dirce  is  the  subject  of  the 
famous  group  once  belonging  to  the  Farnese  family,  and  now 
called  by  their  name. 

Amphion's  musical  talent  was  of  great  use  to  him  when  he 
subsequently  became  King  of  Thebes,  and  wished  to  fortify  his 
capital  by  building  a  huge  rampart  all  around  it ;  for  the  stones 
moved  in  rhythmic  time,  and,  of  their  own  volition,  marched  into 
their  places. 

Second  to  him  only,  in  musical  fame,  was  Arion,  the  musician 

who  won  untold  wealth  by  his  talent.     On  one  occasion,  having 

gone  to  Sicily  to  take  part  in  a  musical  contest 

which    had    attracted    thither   the   most   famous 

musicians  from  all  points  of  the  compass,  he  resolved  to  return 

home  by  sea. 

Unfortunately  for  him,  the  vessel  upon  which  he  had  embarked 
was  manned  by  an  avaricious,  piratical  crew,  who,  having  heard 
of  his  treasures,  resolved  to  murder  him  to  obtain  possession 
of  them.  He  was  allowed  but  scant  time  to  prepare  for  death ; 
but,  just  as  they  were  about  to  toss  him  overboard,  he  craved 
permission  to  play  for  the  last  time.  The  pirates  consented. 
His  clear  notes  floated  over  the  sea,  and  allured  a  school  of 
dolphins,  which  came  and  played  about  the  ship.  The  pirates, 
terrified  by  the  power  of  his  music,  and  in  dread  lest  their  hearts 
should  be  moved,  quickly  laid  hands  upon  him,  and  hurled  him 
into  the  water,  where  he  fell  upon  the  broad  back  of  a  dolphin, 
who  bore  him  in  safety  to  the  nearest  shore. 

"  Then  was  there  heard  a  most  celestiall  sound 
Of  dainty  musicke,  which  did  next  ensew 
Before  the  spouse  :   that  was  Arion  crownd  ; 
Who.  playing  on  his  harpe,  unto  him  drew 
The  eares  and  hearts  of  all  that  goodly  crew, 
That  even  yet  the  Dolphin,  which  him  bore 


APOLLO.  83 

Through  the  Agean  seas  from  Pirates  vew, 

Stood  still  by  him  astonisht  at  his  lore, 

And  all  the  raging  seas  for  joy  forgot  to  rore." 

SPENSER. 

To  commemorate  this  miracle,  the  gods  placed  Arion's  harp, 
together  with  the  dolphin,  in  the  heavens,  where  they  form  a 
constellation. 

In  the  sunny  plains  of  Greece  there  once  dwelt  Clymene,  a 
fair  nymph.  She  was  not  alone,  however,  for  her  golden-haired 
little  son  Phaeton  was  there  to  gladden  her  heart  with  all  his 
childish  graces. 

Early  in  the  morning,  when  the  sun's  bright  orb  first  appeared 
above  the  horizon,  Clymene  would  point  it  out  to  her  boy,  and 
tell  him  that  his  father,  Apollo,  was  setting  out  for        story  of 
his  daily  drive.     Clymene  so  often  entertained  her        Phaeton, 
child  with  stories  of  his  father's  beauty  and  power,  that  at  last 
Phaeton  became  conceited,   and  acquired  a  habit  of  boasting 
rather  loudly  of  his  divine  parentage.     His  playmates,  after  a 
time,  wearied  of  his  arrogance,  and,  to  avoid  the  constant  repeti- 
tion of  his  vain  speeches,  bade  him  show  some  proof  of  his  divine 
origin,  or  keep  his  peace. 

Stung  to  the  quick  by  some  insolent  taunts  which  they  added, 
Phaeton  hastened  to  his  mother,  and  begged  her  to  direct  him  to 
his  father,  that  he  might  obtain  the  desired  proof.  Clymene  im- 
mediately gave  him  all  necessary  information,  and  bade  him 
make  haste  if  he  would  reach  his  father's  palace  in  the  far  east 
before  the  sun  chariot  passed  out  of  its  portals  to  accomplish  its 
daily  round.  Directly  eastward  Phaeton  journeyed,  nor  paused 
to  rest  until  he  came  in  view  of  the  golden  and  jeweled  pin- 
nacles and  turrets  of  his  father's  abode. 

"  The  sun's  bright  palace,  on  high  columns  rais'd 
With  burnish'd  gold  and  flaming  jewels  blaz'd, 
The  folding  gates  diffus'd  a  silver  light, 
And  with  a  milder  gleam  refreshed  the  sight." 

ADDISON. 


84  CLASSICAL  MYTHS. 

Quite  undazzled  by  this  splendor,  the  youth  still  pressed  on, 
straining  his  eyes  to  catch  the  first  glimpse  of  the  godly  father, 
whose  stately  bearing  and  radiant  air  his  mother  had  so  enthusi- 
astically described. 

Apollo,  from  his  golden  throne,  had  watched  the  boy's  approach, 
and,  as  he  drew  nearer,  recognized  him  as  his  own  offspring. 
Timidly  now  Phaeton  advanced  to  the  steps  of  his  father's  throne, 
and  humbly  waited  for  permission  to  make  his  errand  known. 
Apollo  addressed  him  graciously,  called  him  his  son,  and  bade 
him  speak  without  fear.  In  a  few  minutes  the  youth  impetu- 
ously poured  out  the  whole  story,  and  watched  with  pleasure 
the  frown  which  gathered  on  Apollo's  brow  when  he  repeated 
his  companions'  taunts.  As  soon  as  he  had  finished  his  tale, 
Apollo  exclaimed  that  he  would  grant  him  any  proof  he  wished, 
and  confirmed  these  words  by  a  solemn  oath. 

"  '  By  the  terrible  Styx  ! '  said  the  angry  sire, 
While  his  eyes  flashed  volumes  of  fury  and  fire, 
'  To  prove  your  reviler  an  infamous  liar, 
I  swear  I  will  grant  you  whate'er  you  desire  ! ' ' 

SAXE. 

This  oath  was  the  most  solemn  any  god  could  utter,  and  in 
case  of  perjury  he  was  obliged  to  drink  the  waters  of  this  river, 
which  would  lull  him  into  senseless  stupidity  for  one  whole  year. 
During  nine  years  following  he  was  deprived  of  his  office, 
banished  from  Olympus,  and  not  allowed  to  taste  of  the  life-giving 
nectar  and  ambrosia. 

With  a  flash  of  triumph  in  his  dark  eyes,  Phaeton,  hearing  this 
oath,  begged  permission  to  drive  the  sun  chariot  that  very  day, 
stating  that  all  the  world  would  be  sure  to  notice  his  exalted 
position,  and  that  none  would  ever  dare  doubt  his  veracity  after 
such  a  signal  mark  of  Apollo's  favor. 

When  the  god  heard  this  presumptuous  request,  he  started 
back  in  dismay,  for  he  alone  could  control  the  four  fiery  steeds 
which  drew  the  golden-wheeled  sun  car.  Patiently  he  then  ex- 


APOLLO.  85 

plained  to  Phaeton  the  great  danger  of  such  an  undertaking, 
earnestly  begging  him  to  select  some  other,  less  fatal  boon. 

"  Choose  out  a  gift  from  seas,  or  earth,  or  skies, 
For  open  to  your  wish  all  nature  lies ; 
Only  decline  this  one  unequal  task, 
For  'tis  a  mischief,  not  a  gift,  you  ask." 

ADDISON. 

But  Phaeton,  who,  like  many  another  conceited  youth,  fancied 
he  knew  better  than  his  sire,  would  not  give  heed  to  the  kindly 
warning,  and  persisted  in  his  request,  until  Apollo,  who  had  sworn 
the  irrevocable  oath,  was  obliged  to  fulfill  his  promise. 

The  hour  had  already  come  when  the  Sun  usually  began  his 
daily  journey.  The  pawing,  champing  steeds  were  ready ;  rosy- 
fingered  Aurora  only  awaited  her  master's  signal  to  fling  wide  the 
gates  of  morn  ;  and  the  Hours  were  ready  to  escort  him  as  •  usual. 

Apollo,  yielding  to  pressure,  quickly  anointed  his  son  with  a 
cooling  essence  to  preserve  him  from  the  burning  sunbeams, 
gave  him  the  necessary  directions  for  his  journey,  and  repeatedly 
and  anxiously  cautioned  him  to  watch  his  steeds  with  the  utmost 
care,  and  to  use  the  whip  but  sparingly,  as  they  were  inclined  to 
be  very  restive. 

The  youth,  who  had  listened  impatiently  to  cautions  and  direc- 
tions, then  sprang  into  the  seat,  gathered  up  the  reins,  signaled 
to  Aurora  to  fling  the  gates  wide,  and  dashed  out  of  the  eastern 
palace  with  a  flourish. 

For  an  hour  or  two  Phaeton  bore  in  mind  his  father's  principal 
injunctions,  and  all  went  well;  but  later,  elated  by  his  exalted 
position,  he  became  very  reckless,  drove  faster  and  faster,  and 
soon  lost  his  way.  In  finding  it  again  he  drove  so  close  to 
the  earth,  that  all  the  plants  shriveled  up,  the  fountains  and 
rivers  were  dried  in  their  mossy  beds,  the  smoke  began  to  rise 
from  the  parched  and  blackened  earth,  and  even  the  people  of  the 
land  over  which  he  was  passing  were  burned  black,  —  a  hue  re- 
tained by  their  descendants  to  this  day. 
6 


APOLLO.  87 

Terrified  at  what  he  had  done,  Phaeton  whipped  up  his  steeds, 
and  drove  so  far  away,  that  all  the  vegetation  which  had  sur- 
vived the  intense  heat  came  to  an  untimely  end  on  account  of 
the  sudden  cold. 

The  cries  of  mortals  rose  in  chorus,  and  their  clamors  became 
so  loud  and  importunate,  that  they  roused  Jupiter  from  a  pro- 
found sleep,  and  caused  him  to  look  around  to  discover  their 
origin.  One  glance  of  his  all-seeing  eye  sufficed  to  reveal  the 
damaged  earth  and  the  youthful  charioteer.  How  had  a  beard- 
less youth  dared  to  mount  the  sun  chariot  ?  Jupiter  could 
scarcely  credit  what  he  saw.  In  his  anger  he  vowed  he  would 
make  the  rash  mortal  expiate  his  presumption  by  immediate 
death.  He  therefore  selected  the  deadliest  thunderbolt  in  his 
arsenal,  aimed  it  with  special  care,  and  hurled  it  at  Phaeton, 
whose  burned  and  blackened  corpse  fell  from  his  lofty  seat  down 
into  the  limpid  waves  of  the  Eridanus  River. 

"  And  Phaethon,  caught  in  mid  career, 
And  hurled  from  the  Sun  to  utter  sunlessness, 
Like  a  flame-bearded  comet,  with  ghastliest  hiss, 
Fell  headlong  in  the  amazed  Eridanus, 
Monarch  of  streams,  who  on  the  Italian  fields 
Let  loose,  and  far  beyond  his  flowery  lips 
Foam-white,  ran  ruinous  to  the  Adrian  deep." 

WORSLEV. 

The  tidings  of  his  death  soon  reached  poor  Clymene,  who 
mourned  her  only  son,  and  refused  to  be  comforted ;  while  the 
Heliades,  Phaeton's  sisters,  three  in  number,  — 

The  Heliades. 

Phaetusa,  Lampetia,  and  /kgle,  —  spent  their  days 
by  the  riverside,  shedding  tears,  wringing  their  white  hands,  and 
bewailing  their  loss,  until  the  gods,  in  pity,  transformed  them 
into  poplar  trees,  and  their  tears  into  amber,  which  substance 
was  supposed  by  the  ancients  to  flow  from  the  poplar  trees 
like  teardrops.  Phaeton's  intimate  friend,  Cycnus,  piously 
collected  his  charred  remains,  and  gave  them  an  honorable 


88  CLASSICAL  MYTHS. 

burial.  In  his  grief  he  continually  haunted  the  scene  of  his 
friend's  death,  and  repeatedly  plunged  into  the  river,  in  the  hope 
of  finding  some  more  scattered  fragments,  until  the  gods 
changed  him  into  a  swan ;  which  bird  is  ever  sailing  mournfully 
about,  and  frequently  plunging  his  head  into  the  water  to  con- 
tinue his  sad  search. 

Apollo,  as  the  dearly  loved  leader  of  the  nine  Muses,  —  daugh- 
ters of  Jupiter  and  Mnemosyne,  goddess  of  memory,  —  was  sur- 
named  Musagetes. 

"  Whom  all  the  Muses  loved,  not  one  alone ;  — 
Into  his  hands  they  put  the  lyre  of  gold, 

And,  crowned  with  sacred  laurel  at  their  fount, 
Placed  him  as  Musagetes  on  their  throne." 

LONGFELLOW. 

Although  the  Muses  united  at  times  in  one  grand  song,  they 
had  each  separate  duties  assigned  them. 

Clio,  the  Muse  of  history,  recorded  all  great  deeds  and  heroic 
actions,  with  the  names  of  their  authors,  and  was  therefore  gen- 

The  nine  erally  represented  with  a  laurel  wreath  and  a  book 
Muses.  an(j  stylus,  to  indicate  her  readiness  to  note  all 
that  happened  to  mortal  men  or  immortal  gods. 

Euterpe,  the  graceful  "  Mistress  of  Song,"  was  represented 
with  a  flute,  and  garlands  of  fragrant  flowers. 

Thalia,  Muse  of  pastoral  poetry,  held  a  shepherd's  crook  and 
mask,  and  wore  a  crown  of  wild  flowers. 

"  Mild  pastoral  Muse  ! 

That,  to  the  sparkling  crown  Urania  wears, 
And  to  her  sister  Clio's  laurel  wreath, 
Preferr'st  a  garland  culled  from  purple  heath  !  " 

WORDSWORTH. 

Her  graver  sister,  Melpomene,  who  presided  over  tragedy, 
wore  a  crown  of  gold,  and  wielded  a  dagger  and  a  scepter ;  while 
Terpsichore,  the  light-footed  Muse  of  dancing,  was  represented 
treading  an  airy  measure. 


go  CLASSICAL   MYTHS. 

Erato,  who  preferred  lyric  poetry  to  all  other  styles  of  composi- 
tion, was  pictured  with  a  lyre  ;  and  Polyhymnia,  Muse  of  rhetoric, 
held  a  scepter  to  show  that  eloquence  rules  with  resistless  sway. 

Calliope,  Muse  of  heroic  poetry,  also  wore  a  laurel  crown  ;  and 
Urania,  Muse  of  astronomy,  held  mathematical  instruments,  in- 
dicative of  her  love  of  the  exact  sciences. 

This  glorious  sisterhood  was  wont  to  assemble  on  Mount  Par- 
nassus or  on  Mount  Helicon,  to  hold  their  learned  debates  on 
poetry,  science,  and  music. 

Apollo's  favorite  attendant  was  Eos  (Aurora),  the  fair  goddess 
of  dawn,  whose  rose-tipped  fingers  opened  wide  the  eastern 
gates  of  pearl,  and  who  then  flashed  across  the  sky  to  announce 
her  master's  coming. 

"Hail,  gentle  Dawn  !  mild  blushing  goddess,  hail ! 
Rejoiced  I  see  thy  purple  mantle  spread 
O'er  half  the  skies ;  gems  pave  thy  radiant  way, 
And  orient  pearls  from  every  shrub  depend." 

So.MERVILLE. 

This  dainty  goddess  loved  and  married  Tithonus,  Prince  of 

Troy,  and  won  from  the  gods  the  boon  of  everlasting  life  to 

stor    of       confer  upon  him.     Alas!  however,  she  forgot  to 

Aurora  and  ask  at  the  same  time  for  continued  youth ;  and 
her  husband  grew  older  and  older,  and  finally  be- 
came so  decrepit,  that  he  was  a  burden  to  her.  Knowing  he 
would  never  die,  and  wishing  to  rid  herself  of  his  burdensome 
presence,  she  changed  him  into  a  grasshopper. 

At  this  time  the  goddess  fell  in  love  with  Cephalus,  the  young 
hunter,  and  frequently  visited  him  on  Mount  Hymettus. 

"  '  Come,'  Phoebus  cries,  '  Aurora,  come  —  too  late 
Thou  linger'st  slumbering  with  thy  wither'd  mate ! 
Leave  him,  and  to  Hymettus'  top  repair ! 
Thy  darling  Cephalus  expects  thee  there  ! ' 
The  goddess,  with  a  blush,  her  love  betrays, 
But  mounts,  and,  driving  rapidly,  obeys." 

KEATS. 


APOLLO.  91 

The  principal  temples  dedicated  to  the  worship  of  Apollo  were 
at  Delos,  his  birthplace,  and  at  Delphi,  where  a  priestess  called 
Pythia  gave  out  mysterious  oracles  purporting  to        worship 
have  come  from  the   god.     The  ancients  every-       ofApoiio. 
where  could  not  fail  to  recognize  the  sun's  kindly  influence  and 
beneficent  power,  and  were  therefore  ever  ready  to  worship  Apollo. 

"  I  marvel  not,  O  sun !  that  unto  thee 
In  adoration  man  should  bow  the  knee, 

And  pour  his  prayers  of  mingled  awe  and  love; 
For  like  a  God  thou  art,  and  on  thy  way 
Of  glory  sheddest  with  benignant  ray, 

Beauty,  and  life,  and  joyance  from  above." 

So  I/THEY. 

The  most  renowned  among  the  numerous  festivals  held  in 
honor  of  Apollo  were,  without  exception,  the  Pythian  Games, 
celebrated  at  Delphi  every  three  years. 

A  manly,  beardless  youth  of  great  beauty,  Apollo  is  generally 
crowned  with  laurels,  and  bears  either  a  bow  or  a  lyre. 

"  The  Lord  of  the  unerring  bow, 
The  God  of  life,  and  poesy,  and  light  — 
The  Sun  in  human  limbs  array'd,  and  brow 
All  radiant  from  his  triumph  in  the  fight; 
The  shaft  hath  just  been  shot  —  the  arrow  bright 
With  an  immortal's  vengeance  ;  in  his  eye 
And  nostril  beautiful  disdain,  and  might 
And  majesty,  flash  their  full  lightnings  by, 
Developing  in  that  one  glance  the  Deity." 

IlVRON. 

One  of  the  Seven  Wonders  of  the  ancient  world,  the  famous 
Colossus  of  Rhodes,  was  a  statue  of  Apollo,  his  head  encircled 
with  a  halo  of  bright  sunbeams,  and  his  legs  spread  wide  apart 
to  allow  vessels,  with  all  their  sails  spread,  to  pass  in  and  out  of 
the  harbor,  whose  entrance  he  guarded  for  many  a  year. 


DIANA  OF  VERSAILLES. 
(  Louvre,  Paris. ) 


CHAPTER    VI. 

DIANA. 

DIANA  (Cynthia,  Phoebe,  Selene,  Artemis),  the  fair  twin  sis- 
ter of  Apollo,  was  not  only  goddess  of  the  moon,  but  also  of 
the  chase. 

"  'Goddess  serene,  transcending  every  star  ! 
Queen  of  the  sky,  whose  beams  are  seen  afar ! 
By  night  heaven  owns  thy  sway,  by  day  the  grove, 
When,  as  chaste  Dian,  here  thou  deign'st  to  rove.'" 

BYRON. 

In  works  of  art  this  goddess  is  generally  represented  as  a  beau- 
tiful maiden,  clad  in  a  short  hunting  dress,  armed  with  a  bow,  a 
quiver  full  of  arrows  at  her  side,  and  a  crescent  on  her  well- 
poised  head. 

Proud  of  her  two  children,  Apollo  and  Diana,  Latona  boasted 
far  and  wide  that  such  as  hers  had  never  been,  for  they  excelled 
all  others  in  beauty,  intelligence,  and  power. 

The    daughter    of   Tantalus,    Niobe,    heard    this   boast,    and 
laughed  in  scorn  ;   for  she  was  the  mother  of  four-        story  of 
teen  children,  —  seven  manly  sons  and  seven  beau- 
tiful daughters.     In  her  pride  she  called  aloud  to  Latona,  and 
taunted  her  because  her  offspring  numbered  but  two. 

Shortly  after,  Niobe  even  went  so  far  as  to  forbid  her  people 
to  worship  Apollo  and  Diana,  and  gave  orders  that  all  the  statues 
representing  them  in  her  kingdom  should  be  torn  down  from 
their  pedestals,  and  destroyed.  Enraged  at  this  insult,  Latona 
called  her  children  to  her  side,  and  bade  them  go  forth  and  slay 
all  her  luckless  rival's  offspring. 

93 


94  CLASSICAL    MYTHS. 

Provided  with  well-stocked  quivers,  the  twins  set  out  to  do  her 
bidding ;  and  Apollo,  meeting  the  seven  lads  out  hunting,  cut 
their  existence  short  with  his  unfailing  arrows. 

"Phoebus  slew  the  sons 
With  arrows  from  his  silver  bow,  incensed 
At  Niobe." 

HOMER  (Bryant's  tr.). 

With  all  proverbial  speed  the  tidings  reached  Niobe,  whose 
heart  failed  when  she  heard  that  her  seven  sons,  her  pride  and 
delight,  had  fallen  under  Apollo's  shafts,  and  that  they  now  lay 
cold  and  stiff  in  the  forest,  where  they  had  eagerly  hastened  a 
few  hours  before,  to  follow  the  deer  to  its  cover. 

As  she  mourned  their  untimely  death,  she  thought  her  cup 
of  sorrow  was  full ;  but  long  ere  her  first  passion  of  grief  was 
over,  Diana  began  to  slay  her  daughters. 

"But  what  is  this?     What  means  this  oozing  flood? 
Her  daughters,  too,  are  weltering  in  their  blood: 
One  clasps  her  mother's  knees,  one  clings  around 
Her  neck,  and  one  lies  prostrate  on  the  ground ; 
One  seeks  her  breast ;  one  eyes  the  coming  woe 
And  shudders;  one  in  terror  crouches  low." 

MELEAGER. 

In  vain  the  poor  girls  sought  to  escape  the  flying  arrows.  In 
vain  Niobe  sought  to  protect  them,  and  called  upon  all  the  gods 
of  Olympus.  Her  daughters  fell  one  by  one,  never  to  rise  again. 
The  last  clung  convulsively  to  her  mother's  breast ;  but,  even  in 
that  fond  mother's  passionate  embrace,  death  found  and  claimed 
her.  Then  the  gods,  touched  by  the  sight  of  woe  so  intense, 
changed  Niobe  into  stone,  just  as  she  stood,  with  upturned  face, 
streaming  eyes,  and  quivering  lips. 

This  statue  was  placed  on  Mount  Sipylus,  close  to  a  stream  of 
running  water;  and  it  was  said  that  tears  continually  flowed 
down  the  marble  cheeks,  for,  though  changed,  Niobe  still  felt,  and 
wept  for  her  great  loss. 


NIOBE. 
( Vatican,  Rome. ) 


9 6  CLASSICAL    MYTHS. 

This  story  is  an  allegory,  in  which  Niobe,  the  mother,  repre- 
sents winter,  hard,  cold,  and  proud  ;  until  Apollo's  deadly  arrows, 
the  sunbeams,  slay  her  children,  the  winter  months.  Her  tears 
are  emblems  of  the  natural  thaw  which  comes  in  spring,  when 
winter's  pride  has  melted. 

As  soon  as  the  young  Goddess  of  the  Moon  had  been  intro- 
duced in  Olympus,  all  the  gods  expressed  a  wish  to  marry  her ; 
Diana's  but  she  refused  to  listen  to  their  entreaties,  begged 
avocations,  j^r  father's  permission  to  remain  single  all  her  life, 
and  pleaded  her  cause  so  ably,  that  Jupiter  was  forced  to  grant 
her  request. 

Every  evening,  as  soon  as  the  Sun  had  finished  his  course, 
Diana  mounted  her  moon  car,  and  drove  her  milk-white  steeds 
across  the  heavens,  watched  over  and  loved  by  the  countless 
stars,  which  shone  their  brightest  to  cheer  her  on  her  way ;  and 
as  she  drove  she  often  bent  down  to  view  the  sleeping  earth,  so 
shadowy  and  dreamlike,  and  to  breathe  the  intoxicating  perfume 
of  the  distant  flowers.  It  always  seemed  to  her  then  as  if 
Nature,  so  beautiful  during  the  day,  borrowed  additional  charms 
from  the  witching  hours  of  the  night. 

"'Twas  now  the  time  when  Phoebus  yields  to  night, 
And  rising  Cynthia  sheds  her  silver  light, 
Wide  o'er  the  world  in  solemn  pomp  she  drew 
Her  airy  chariot  hung  with  pearly  dew." 

One  evening,  as  she  was  driving  noiselessly  along,  she  suddenly 
checked  her  steeds ;   for  there  on  the  hillside  she  saw  a  hand- 
story  of        some    young   shepherd,  fast   asleep,  his  upturned 
Endymion.      face  inumined  by  the  moon's  soft  light.     Diana 
wonderingly  gazed  upon  his  beauty,  and  before  long  felt  her 
heart   beat  with  more   than    admiration.     Gliding  gently  from 
her  chariot,  she  floated  to  his  side,  bent  slowly,  and  dropped  an 
airy  kiss  upon  his  slightly  parted  lips. 

The  youth  Endymion,  only  partially  awakened  by  this  demon- 
stration, half  raised  his  fringed  lids,  and  for  a  moment  his  sleep- 


DIAN-A.  97 

dimmed  eyes  rested  wonderingly  upon  the  beautiful  vision. 
That  one  glance,  although  it  drove  Diana  away  in  great  haste, 
kindled  in  his  heart  an  inextinguishable  passion.  He  rose 
with  a  start,  and  rubbed  his  sleepy  eyes ;  but  when  he  saw  the 
moon,  which  he  fancied  close  beside  him,  sailing  away  across  the 
deep-blue  sky,  he  felt  sure  the  whole  occurrence  had  been  but  a 
dream,  but  so  sweet  a  dream  that  he  cast  himself  down  upon  the 
sward,  hoping  to  woo  it  to  visit  him  once  more. 

It  did  not  come  again  that  night,  however;  but  the  next 
night,  as  he  lay  on  the  selfsame  spot,  it  recurred  in  all  its  sweet- 
ness ;  and  night  after  night  it  was  repeated  when  the  pale  moon- 
beams fell  athwart  his  sleeping  face. 

"  Then,  as  the  full  orb  poised  upon  the  peak, 
There  came  a  lovely  vision  of  a  maid, 
Who  seemed  to  step  as  from  a  golden  car 
Out  of  the  low-hung  moon." 

LEWIS  MORRIS. 

Diana,  fully  as  enamored  as  he,  could  not  bear  to  pass  him 
by  without  a  caress,  and  invariably  left  her  car  for  a  moment,  as 
it  touched  the  mountain  peak,  to  run  to  him  and  snatch  a  hasty 
kiss. 

"  Chaste  Artemis,  who  guides  the  lunar  car, 
The  pale  nocturnal  vigils  ever  keeping, 
Sped  through  the  silent  space  from  star  to  star, 
And,  blushing,  stooped  to  kiss  Endymion  sleeping." 

BOYESEN. 

But,  even  when  asleep,  Endymion  watched  for  her  coming, 
and  enjoyed  the  bliss  of  her  presence ;  yet  a  spell  seemed  to  pre- 
vent his  giving  any  sign  of  consciousness. 

Time  passed  thus.  Diana,  who  could  not  bear  to  think  of  the 
youth's  beauty  being  marred  by  want,  toil,  and  exposure,  finally 
caused  an  eternal  sleep  to  fall  upon  him,  and  bore  him  off  to 
Mount  Latmus,  where  she  concealed  him  in  a  cave  held  sacred 
to  her,  and  never  profaned  by  human  gaze.  There  each  night 


98  CLASSICAL    MYTHS. 

the  goddess  paused  to  gaze  enraptured  upon  his  beloved  counte- 
nance, and  to  press  a  soft  kiss  upon  his  unconscious  lips.  Such 
is  the  tale  of  Diana  and  her  lowly  sweetheart,  which  has  inspired 
poets  of  all  ages. 

' '  Queen  of  the  wide  air ;  them  most  lovely  queen 
Of  all  the  brightness  that  mine  eyes  have  seen! 
As  thou  exceedest  all  things  in  thy  shrine, 
So  every  tale,  does  this  sweet  tale  of  thine." 

KEATS. 

Endymion  was  not,  however,  the  only  mortal  loved  by  Diana, 
for  mythologists  report  that  her  affections  were  also  bestowed 

Story  of  upon  a  young  hunter  by  the  name  of  Orion.  All 
Onon.  (jay  jong  ti^g  youth  scoured  the  forest,  his  faithful 
dog  Sirius  at  his  heels. 

One  day,  in  the  dense  shade  of  the  forest,  he  met  a  group  of 
Diana's  nymphs,  the  seven  Pleiades,  daughters  of  Atlas.  These 
fair  maidens  needed  but  to  be  seen  to  be  passionately  loved,  and 
Orion's  heart  burned  as  he  sought  to  approach  them ;  but  they 
were  very  coy,  and,  as  he  drew  near  and  addressed  them,  turned 
and  fled. 

Afraid  lest  he  should  never  see  them  again  were  he  now  to 
lose  sight  of  them,  he  pursued  them  hotly ;  but  the  nymphs  sped 
on,  until,  their  strength  failing,  they  called  upon  their  patroness's 
aid.  Their  prayer  was  no  sooner  heard  than  answered,  and 
Orion,  panting  and  weary,  came  up  just  in  time  to  see  seven 
snow-white  pigeons  wing  their  way  up  into  the  azure  sky. 

There  a  second  transformation  overtook  the  Pleiades,  who 
were  changed  into  a  constellation,  composed  of  seven  bright 
stars,  and  there  they  shone  undimmed  for  ages ;  but  when  Troy 
fell  into  the  enemy's  hands,  all  grew  pale  with  grief,  and  one, 
more  timid  and  impressionable  than  the  rest,  withdrew  from 
sight  to  hide  her  anguish  from  the  curious  eyes  of  men. 

"  And  is  there  glory  from  the  heavens  departed  ? — 
O  void  unmark'd  !  — thy  sisters  of  the  sky 
Still  hold  their  place  on  high, 


DIANA.  99 

Though  from  its  rank  thine  orb  so  long  hath  started, 
Thou,  that  no  more  art  seen  of  mortal  eye  !  " 

HEMANS. 

Orion,  like  a  fickle  youth,  was  soon  consoled  for  their  disap- 
pearance, and  loved  Merope,  daughter  of  QEnopion,  King  of 
Chios,  who  consented  to  their  union  on  condition  that  his  future 
son-in-law  should  win  his  bride  by  some  heroic  deed.  Now,  as 
Orion  was  anything  but  a  patient  man,  the  delay  was  very  un- 
welcome indeed,  and  he  made  up  his  mind  to  elope  with  his 
bride  instead  of  marrying  her  openly ;  but  the  plan  was  frus- 
trated by  CEnopion's  watchfulness,  and  Orion  was  punished  by 
the  loss  not  only  of  his  bride,  but  also  of  his  eyesight. 

Blind,  helpless,  and  alone,  he  now  wandered  from  place  to 
place,  hoping  to  find  some  one  capable  of  restoring  his  sight.  At 
last  he  reached  the  Cyclopes'  cave,  and  one  of  them  took  pity 
on  him,  and  led  him  to  the  Sun,  from  whose  radiance  he  bor- 
rowed a  store  of  light,  — 

"  When,  blinded  by  (Enopion, 
He  sought  the  blacksmith  at  his  forge, 
And,  climbing  up  the  mountain  gorge, 
Fixed  his  blank  eyes  upon  the  sun." 

LONGFELLOW. 

Happy  once  more,  he  resumed  his  favorite  sport,  and  hunted 
from  morn  till  eve.  Diana  met  him  in  the  forest,  and,  sharing 
his  tastes,  soon  learned  to  love  him ;  but  this  affection  was 
viewed  with  great  displeasure  by  Apollo,  from  whose  piercing 
glance  nothing  that  occurred  by  day  could  be  hidden,  and  he 
resolved  to  put  an  end  to  his  sister's  infatuation.  He  therefore 
summoned  her  to  his  side.  To  divert  her  suspicions,  he  began 
to  talk  of  archery,  and,  under  the  pretext  of  testing  her  skill  as  a 
markswoman,  bade  her  shoot  at  a  dark  speck  rising  and  falling 
far  out  at  sea. 

Diana  seized  her  bow,  feathered  her  arrow,  and  sent  it  with 
such  force  and  accurate  aim,  that  she  touched  the  point,  and 
saw  it  vanish  beneath  the  waves,  little  suspecting  that  the  dark 


ioo  CLASSICAL    MYTHS. 

head  of  Orion,  who  was  refreshing  himself  by  a  sea  bath, 
was  given  her  as  a  target.  When  she  discovered  her  error,  she 
mourned  his  loss  with  many  tears,  vowed  never  to  forget  him, 
and  placed  him  and  his  faithful  dog  Sirius  as  constellations  in 
the  sky. 

When  Diana  had  finished  her  nightly  journey  in  her  moon 
story  of        car>  sne  seized  her  bow  and  arrows,  and,  attended 
Actaeon.        ^y  ner  nvniphs,  was  wont  to  sally  forth  to  hunt 
the  wild  beasts  in  the  forest. 

One  summer  afternoon,  after  an  unusually  long  and  exciting 
pursuit,  Diana  and  her  followers  came  to  one  of  the  still  moun- 
tain pools  where  they  had  often  resorted  to  enjoy  a  plunge. 
The  cool  waters  rippled  so  invitingly,  that  the  goddess  and  her 
attendants  hastened  to  divest  themselves  of  their  short  hunting 
garments,  and  lave  their  heated  limbs. 

But  unfortunately  the  goddess  and  her  attendant  nymphs  had 
not  been  the  only  ones  out  hunting  that  day.  Actaeon,  the 
huntsman,  had  risen  at  dawn  to  stalk  the  deer ;  and  now,  weary 
and  parched  with  thirst,  he  too  sought  the  well-known  mountain 
spring, 

"  Deep  in  the  cool  recesses  of  the  wood, 
Where  the  cold  crystal  of  a  mossy  pool 
Rose  to  the  flowery  marge,  and  gave  again 
The  soft  green  lawn  where  ofttimes,  overspent, 
I  lay  upon  the  grass  and  eager  bathed 
My  limbs  in  the  clear  lymph." 

LEWIS  MORRIS. 

As  he  drew  near  the  accustomed  spot,  Actaeon  fancied  he 
heard  bursts  of  silvery  laughter :  so  he  crept  on  very  cautiously, 
and  soon,  gently  parting  the  thick  branches  of  the  underbrush, 
beheld  the  sporting  group. 

At  the  selfsame  moment  Diana  turned  to  ascertain  the  cause 
of  the  rustle  which  had  caught  her  practiced  ear,  and  met  the 
admiring  gaze  of  the  astonished  young  hunter.  Speechless  with 
indignation  that  a  mortal  had  beheld  her  thus,  she  caught  some 


DIAXA.  ioi 

water  in  her  hollow  palm,  flung  it  in  his  face,  and  bade  him  go 
and  declare,  if  he  could,  that  he  had  seen  Diana  disrobed. 

The  glittering  drops  had  no  sooner  touched  the  young  man's 
face,  than  he  turned  to  obey  her  command,  and  found  himself 
transformed  into  a  stag,  with  slender,  sinewy  limbs,  furry  skin, 
and  wide-branching  antlers.  Nothing  remained  of  his  former 
self  except  the  woeful  consciousness  of  his  transformation  ;  and  as 
he  stood  there,  motionless  and  dismayed,  the  distant  baying  of 
his  hounds  coming  to  join  him  fell  upon  his  ear. 

An  electric  thrill  of  fear  shot  through  every  vein,  as,  mindful 
of  his  new  form,  he  bounded  away  through  the  forest.  Alas! 
too  late ;  for  the  pack  had  caught  one  glimpse  of  his  sleek  sides, 
and  were  after  him  in  full  cry. 

In  vain  poor  Actaeon  strained  every  muscle.  His  limbs  re- 
fused their  support,  and,  as  he  sank  exhausted  to  the  ground,  the 
hounds  sprang  at  his  quivering  throat. 

"  Nearer  they  came  and  nearer,  baying  loud, 
With  bloodshot  eyes  and  red  jaws  dripping  foam ; 
And  when  I  strove  to  check  their  savagery, 
Speaking  with  words,  no  voice  articulate  came, 
Only  a  dumb,  low  bleat.     Then  all  the  throng 
Leapt  swift  on  me,  and  tore  me  as  I  lay  !  " 

LEWIS  MORRIS. 

Diana  was  widely  worshiped,  and  temples  without  number 
were  dedicated  to  her  service ;  among  others,  the  world-re- 
nowned sanctuary  of  Ephesus.  The  ancients  also  celebrated 
many  festivals  in  honor  of  this  fair  goddess  of  the  moon,  who 
was  ever  ready  to  extend  her  protection  over  all  deserving 
mortals. 


(102) 


TRIUMPH  OF  VENUS.— Barrias. 


CHAPTER   VII. 

VENUS. 

VENUS  (Dione,  Aphrodite,  Cytherea),  the  goddess  of  beauty, 
love,    laughter,    and    marriage,    is   said   by   some         Venus' 
mythologists  to  be   the  daughter  of  Jupiter  and          birth- 
Dione,  goddess  of  moisture :  others  report  that  she  sprang  from 
the  foam  of  the  sea. 

"  Look,  look,  why  shine 

Those  floating  bubbles  with  such  light  divine  ? 
They  break,  and  from  their  mist  a  lily  form 
Rises  from  out  the  wave,  in  beauty  warm. 
The  wave  is  by  the  blue-veined  feet  scarce  press'd, 
Her  silky  ringlets  float  about  her  breast, 
Veiling  its  fairy  loveliness  ;  while  her  eye 
Is  soft  and  deep  as  the  blue  heaven  is  high. 
The  Beautiful  is  born  ;  and  sea  and  earth 
May  well  revere  the  hour  of  that  mysterious  birth." 

SHELLEY. 

The  ocean  nymphs  were  the  first  to  discover  her,  cradled  on  a 
great  blue  wave ;  and  they  carried  her  down  into  their  coral 
caves,  where  they  tenderly  nursed  her,  and  taught  her  with  the 
utmost  care.  Then,  her  education  being  completed,  the  sea 
nymphs  judged  it  time  to  introduce  her  to  the  other  gods,  and, 
with  that  purpose  in  view,  carried  her  up  to  the  surface  of  the 
sea, — where  Tritons,  Oceanides,  and  Nereides  all  crowded  around 
her,  loudly  expressing  their  ardent  admiration,  —  and  offered  her 
pearls  and  choice  bits  of  coral  from  the  deep,  as  a  tribute  to  her 
charms. 


(io4)  FOURTH  HOUR  OF  THE  NIGHT.— Raphael. 


VENUS.  105 

Then  they  pillowed  her  softly  on  a  great  wave,  and  intrusted 
her  to  the  care  of  Zephyrus,  the  soft  south  wind,  who  blew  a 
gentle  breath,  and  wafted  her  to  the  Island  of  Cyprus. 

The  four  beautiful  Horae  (the  Seasons),  daughters  of  Jupiter 
anil  Themis,  goddess  of  justice,  stood  there  on  the  shore  to  wel- 
come her. 

"  An  ethereal  band 

Are  visible  above :  the  Seasons  four, — 
Green-kirtled  Spring,  flush  Summer,  golden  store 

In  Autumn's  sickle,  Winter  frosty  hoar." 

KEATS. 

And  they  were  not  alone  to  watch  for  her  coming,  for  the 
three  Charites  (Graces,  or  Gratias)  were  also  present. 

"  These  three  on  men  all  gracious  gifts  bestow 
Which  deck  the  body  or  adorn  the  mind, 
To  make  them  lovely  or  well  favored  show ; 
A  comely  carriage,  entertainment  kind, 
Sweet  semblance,  friendly  offices  that  bind, 
And  all  the  compliments  of  courtesy ; 
They  teach  us  how  to  each  degree  and  kind 
We  should  ourselves  demean,  to  low,  to  high, 
To  friends,  to  foes:  which  skill  men  call  Civility." 

SPENCER. 

Daughters  of  Jupiter  and  Eurynome,  these  maidens,  who  bore 
the  respective  names  of  Aglaia,  Euphrosyne,  and  Thalia,  longed 
to  show  their  love  for  their  new  mistress.  When  the  wave  upon 
which  she  reclined  came  nearer  still,  the  "  rosy-bosomed  Hours, 
fair  Venus'  train,"  appeared.  The  wind  finally  brought  the  fair 
goddess  in  safety  to  the  shore ;  and,  as  soon  as  her  foot  touched 
the  white  sand,  all  bent  in  homage  to  her  surpassing  beauty,  and 
reverentially  watched  her  dry  her  hair. 

"  Idalian  Aphrodite  beautiful, 
Fresh  as  the  foam,  new-bathed  in  Paphian  wells, 
With  rosy  slender  fingers  backward  drew 
From  her  warm  brows  and  bosom  her  deep  hair 


106  CLASSICAL   MYTHS. 

Ambrosial,  golden  round  her  lucid  throat 
And  shoulder :  from  the  violets  her  light  foot 
Shone  rosy-white,  and  o'er  her  rounded  form 
Between  the  shadows  of  the  vine  bunches 
Floated  the  glowing  sunlights,  as  she  moved." 

TENNYSON. 

This  hasty  and  somewhat  primitive  toilet  completed,  Venus 
and  her  followers  set  out  for  Mount  Olympus,  and  on  their  way 
thither  were  joined  by  Himerus,  god  of  the  desire  of  love; 
Pothos,  god  of  the  amities  of  love ;  Suadela,  god  of  the  soft 
speech  of  love ;  and  Hymen,  god  of  marriage. 

A  throne  had  been  prepared  for  the  expected  goddess,  and, 
when  she  suddenly  appeared  to  take  possession  of  it,  the  as- 

Venus  and      sembled  gods  could  not  restrain  a  rapturous  mur- 

Vuican.  mur  of  admiration.  Her  beauty  took  them  by  storm, 
and  her  grace  won  their  hearts ;  but,  although  they  one  and  all 
expressed  a  desire  to  marry  her,  Venus  scornfully  rejected  their 
proposals.  Even  the  king  of  gods  was  slighted,  and,  to  punish 
her  for  her  pride,  he  decreed  she  should  marry  Vulcan,  god  of 
the  forge,  the  most  ill-favored  of  all  the  heavenly  council. 

This  compulsory  union  was  anything  but  a  happy  one;  for 
Venus  never  showed  any  affection  for  her  deformed  consort, 
and,  instead  of  being  a  faithful  wife,  soon  deserted  him,  and 
openly  declared  she  would  please  herself. 

Her  first  fancy  was  for  Mars,  the  handsome  god  of  war,  who 
was  not  slow  in  reciprocating  the  fair  goddess's  affections,  and 

Story  of        many  and  sweet  were  the  secret  interviews  they 

Aiectryon.  enjoyed.  Yet,  fearful  lest  some  of  the  gods  pass- 
ing by  should  discover  them  together,  Mars  always  placed  his 
attendant  Aiectryon  on  guard,  bidding  him  give  due  warning  of 
any  one's  approach,  and  especially  to  call  him  before  the  sun 
rose,  as  the  lovers  were  particularly  anxious  that  Apollo  should 
not  witness  their  parting  caresses. 

All  prospered  according  to  their  desires,  until  one  night  the 
unfortunate  Aiectryon  fell  asleep ;  and  so  profound  were  his 


VENUS.  107 

slumbers,  that  he  did  not  even  stir  when  Aurora  flung  open  the 
gates  of  the  east,  and  Apollo  flashed  forth  to  receive  the  melo- 
dious greetings  of  the  feathered  denizens  of  the  forest. 

The  sun  god  drove  rapidly  on,  glancing  right  and  left,  and 
taking  note  of  all  he  saw.  Nothing  escaped  his  bright  and  pier- 
cing eye,  as  it  flashed  its  beams  hither  and  thither,  and  he  was 
soon  aware  of  the  sleeping  watchman  and  of  the  guilty  lovers. 
As  fast  as  his  fleet-footed  steeds  could  carry  him,  Apollo  has- 
tened to  Vulcan,  to  whom  he  vividly  described  the  sight  which 
had  greeted  his  eyes. 

The  irate  husband  lost  no  time,  but,  seizing  a  net  of  linked 
steel,  went  in  search  of  his  runaway  wife.  Stealthily  he  ap- 
proached the  lovers'  bower,  and  deftly  flung  the  net  over  both 
sleepers,  who  were  caught  in  its  fine  meshes,  and  could  not 
escape ;  and  there  he  kept  them  imprisoned,  in  spite  of  their  en- 
treaties, until  all  the  gods  had  seen  their  humiliating  plight,  and 
turned  them  into  ridicule.  But  when  he  at  last  set  them  free, 
Mars  darted  away,  vowing  vengeance  upon  the  negligent  senti- 
nel, who  was  still  blissfully  sleeping.  Pouncing  upon  him,  Mars 
awakened  him  roughly,  administered  a  sharp  reproof,  changed 
him  into  a  cock,  banished  him  into  the  barnyard,  and  condemned 
him  to  give  daily  warning  of  the  sun's  approach. 

"And,  from  out  a  neighboring  farmyard, 
Loud  the  cock  Alectryon  crowed." 

LONGFELLOW. 

Several   beautiful   children  were  born  to   Mars  and  Venus. 
Hermione,  or  Harmonia,  their  daughter,  married  Cadmus,  King  of 
Thebes;  and  Cupid  (Cupido,  Eros,  Amor),  their         Venus- 
little  son,  was  appointed  god  of  love.     Although        children, 
nursed  with  tender  solicitude,  this  second-born  child  did  not  grow 
as  other  children  do,  but  remained  a  small,  rosy,  chubby  child, 
with  gauzy  wings  and  roguish,  dimpled  face.     Alarmed  for  his 
health,  Venus  consulted  Themis,  who  oracularly  replied,  "  Love 
cannot  grow  without  Passion." 


Io8  CLASSICAL   MYTHS. 

In 'vain  the  goddess  strove  to  catch  the  concealed  meaning  of 
this  answer.  It  was  only  revealed  to  her  when  Anteros,  god  of 
passion,  was  born.  When  with  his  brother,  Cupid  grew  and 
flourished,  until  he  became  a  handsome,  slender  youth  ;  but  when 
separated  from  him,  he  invariably  resumed  his  childish  form  and 
mischievous  habits. 

Venus,  however,  did  not  lavish  all  her  love  upon  Mars,  for  she 
is  said  to  have  felt  a  tender  passion  for  a  young  man  named 

Venus  and  Adonis,  a  bold  young  hunter,  whose  rash  pursuit 
Adoms.  of  dangerous  game  caused  Venus  many  anxious 
alarms.  In  vain  she  besought  him  to  forego  the  pleasures  of 
the  chase  and  remain  with  her.  He  laughingly  escaped,  and  con- 
tinued to  join  the  other  hunters  in  his  favorite  sport.  But,  alas! 
one  day,  after  an  exciting  pursuit,  he  boldly  attacked  a  wild  boar, 
which,  goaded  to  madness,  turned  upon  him,  buried  his  strong 
tusk  in  the  youth's  unprotected  side,  and  trampled  him  to  death. 

"  The  white  tusk  of  a  boar  has  transpierced  his  white  thigh. 

"  The  youth  lieth  dead  while  his  dogs  howl  around, 
And  the  nymphs  weep  aloud  from  the  mists  of  the  hill." 

BION  (Mrs.  Browning's  tr.). 

Venus  ran  straight  to  the  scene  of  his  tragic  death,  rushing 
through  underbrush  and  briers,  tearing  her  delicate  skin,  and  her 
blood  tingeing  all  the  white  roses  along  her  way  to  a  faint  pink. 
When  she  arrived,  she  found  her  beloved  Adonis  cold  in  death, 
and  her  passionate  caresses  met  with  no  response.  Then  she 
burst  into  such  a  passion  of  tears,  that  the  wood  and  water 
nymphs,  the  gods,  men,  and  all  nature  in  fact,  joined  with  her 
to  mourn  the  beloved  youth. 

"Her  loss  the  Loves  deplore  : 
Woe,  Venus,  woe  !  Adonis  is  no  more." 

BION  (Elton's  tr.). 

Very  reluctantly  Mercury  at  last  appeared  to  lead  the  soul  of 
the  departed  down  into  the  Infernal  Regions,  where  it  was  wel- 


(log) 


no  CLASSICAL   MYTHS. 

corned  by  Proserpina,  queen  of  the  realm,  and  led  to  the  place 
where  pure  and  virtuous  mortals  enjoyed  an  eternity  of  bliss. 
Venus,  still  inconsolable,  shed  countless  tears,  which,  as  they 
dropped  upon  the  ground,  were  changed  to  anemones,  while  the 
red  drops  which  had  fallen  from  Adonis'  side  were  transformed 
into  red  roses. 

"As  many  drops  as  from  Adonis  bled, 
So  many  tears  the  sorrowing  Venus  shed : 
For  every  drop  on  earth  a  flower  there  grows  : 
Anemones  for  tears;  for  blood  the  rose." 

BION  (Elton's  tr.). 

• 

As  time  did  not  soften  Venus'  grief,  but,  on  the  contrary, 
made  it  more  and  more  unendurable,  she  went  to  Olympus, 
where  she  fell  at  Jupiter's  feet,  imploring  him  to  release  Adonis 
from  death's  embrace,  or  allow  her  to  share  his  lot  in  Hades. 

To  allow  Beauty  to  desert  the  earth  was  not  possible,  nor 
could  he  resist  her  pleading :  so  he  finally  decreed  that  Adonis 
should  be  restored  to  her  longing  arms.  But  Pluto,  whose  sub- 
ject he  had  now  become,  refused  to  yield  up  Adonis ;  and  after 
much  dispute  a  compromise  was  agreed  upon,  by  virtue  of  which 
Adonis  was  allowed  to  spend  one  half  of  the  year  on  earth, 
providing  he  spent  the  remaining  six  months  in  the  Elysian 
Fields. 

In  early  spring,  therefore,  Adonis  left  the  Lower  World,  and 
came  with  bounding  tread  to  join  his  beloved.  On  his  path 
the  flowers  bloomed  and  the  birds  sang,  to  show  their  joy  at  his 
coming.  An  emblem  of  vegetation,  which  rises  from  the  ground 
in  early  spring  to  deck  the  earth  with  beautiful  foliage  and  flow- 
ers, and  cause  the  birds  to  sing  for  gladness,  Adonis  reluctantly 
returned  to  Hades,  when  Winter,  the  cruel  boar,  slew  him  again 
with  his  white  tusk,  and  made  nature  again  droop,  and  mourn 
his  departure. 

"But  even  in  death,  so  strong  is  Love, 
I  could  not  wholly  die ;  and  year  by  year, 


VENUS.  Ill 

When  the  bright  springtime  comes,  and  the  earth  lives, 
Love  opens  these  dread  gates,  and  calls  me  forth 
Across  the  gulf." 

LEWIS  MORRIS. 

The  Goddess  of  Beauty  also  loved  Anchises,  Prince  of  Troy, 
but,  ashamed  of  lavishing  favors  upon  a  mere  mortal,  extorted 
from  him  a  promise  that  he  would  never  reveal  Venus  and 
their  secret  marriage.  Unfortunately,  however,  Anchises. 
Anchises  was  of  a  boastful  disposition,  and  ere  long  yielded  to 
temptation  and  revealed  the  secret,  incurring  her  wrath  to  such 
an  extent,  that  some  mythologists  accuse  her  of  borrowing  one 
of  Jupiter's  thunderbolts  and  slaying  him.  Others,  however, 
report  that  Anchises  lived  to  a  ripe  old  age,  and  escaped  from 
burning  Troy  on  his  son  Eneas'  back.  Venus'  love  was,  how- 
ever, all  transferred  to  her  son  .-Eneas,  whom  she  signally  pro- 
tected throughout  his  checkered  career. 

Venus'  most  ardent  admirers  and  faithful  worshipers  were  the 
young  people,  for  she  delighted  in  their  youthful    story  of  Hero 
sentiments,  and  was  ever  ready  to  lend  a  helping    and  Leander- 
hand  to  all  true  lovers  when  apparently  insurmountable  obstacles 
appeared  on  their  path. 

This  was  the  case  with  a  lovely  maiden  by  the  name  of  Hero, 
who  was  dedicated  by  her  parents  to  Venus'  service,  and,  as  soon 
as  old  enough,  spent  all  her  time  in  the  temple,  ministering  to  the 
goddess,  or  in  a  lonely  tower  by  the  sea,  where  she  dwelt  alone 
with  her  aged  nurse. 

"  Honey-sweet  Hero,  of  a  princely  race, 
Was  priestess  to  Queen  Venus  in  that  place; 
And  at  her  father's  tower,  by  the  sea  set  — 
Herself  a  Queen  of  Love,  though  maiden  yet  — 
Dwelt." 

EDWIN  ARNOLD. 

The  maiden's  beauty  increased  with  her  years,  until  the  fame 
of  her  loveliness  spread  throughout  her  native  city  Sestus,  and 
even  passed  over  the  Hellespont  and  reached  Abydus,  where 


112  CLASSICAL  MYTHS. 

Leander,  the  bravest  and  handsomest  youth  of  the  town,  was 
fired  with  a  desire  to  view  the  charming  young  priestess. 

Just  at  that  time  a  solemn  festival  in  honor  of  Venus  was  to 
be  celebrated  at  Sestus,  to  which  all  the  youths  and  maidens 
were  cordially  invited.  Under  pretext  of  paying  homage  to  the 
goddess,  Leander  entered  her  temple,  and  saw  the  young  priest- 
ess, whose  charms  far  surpassed  all  descriptions. 

Venus,  as  has  already  been  stated,  was  always  deeply  inter- 
ested in  young  lovers ;  and  when  she  saw  these  two,  so  well 
matched  in  beauty  and  grace,  she  bade  Cupid  pierce  them  with 
his  love  darts,  which  behest  the  mischief-loving  god  immediately 

obeyed. 

"  God  Eros,  setting  notch  to  string, 
Wounded  two  bosoms  with  one  shaft-shooting, 
A  maiden's  and  a  youth's  —  Leander  he, 
And  lovely  Hero,  Sestos'  sweetest,  she; 
She  of  her  town,  and  he  of  his,  the  boast; 
A  noble  pair !  " 

EDWIN  ARNOLD. 

An  undying  passion  was  thus  simultaneously  kindled  in  both 
young  hearts ;  and,  thanks  to  Venus'  assistance,  Leander  man- 
aged to  exchange  a  few  words  with  Hero,  declared  his  love,  im- 
plored her  to  view  his  suit  kindly,  and,  above  all,  to  grant  him  a 
private  interview,  or  he  would  surely  die. 

The  maiden  listened  to  his  pleading  with  mingled  joy  and 
terror,  for  she  knew  her  parents  would  never  consent  to  their 
union.  Then,  afraid  lest  some  one  should  notice  that  she  was 
talking  to  a  stranger,  she  bade  him  depart ;  but  he  refused  to  go 
until  he  had  learned  where  she  lived,  and  proposed  to  swim 
across  the  Hellespont  when  the  shades  of  night  had  fallen,  and 
none  could  see  his  goal,  and  pay  her  a  visit  in  her  lonely  tower. 

"  '  Sweet !  for  thy  love,'  he  cried,  '  the  sea  I'd  cleave, 
Though  foam  were  fire,  and  waves  with  flame  did  heave, 
I  fear  not  billows  if  they  bear  to  thee ; 
Nor  tremble  at  the  hissing  of  the  sea  ! 


VENl  'S.  1 1 3 

And  I  will  come  —  oh  !  let  me  come  —  each  night, 
Swimming  the  swift  flood  to  my  dear  delight: 
For  white  Abydos,  where  I  live,  doth  front 
Thy  city  here,  across  our  Hellespont.' " 

EDWIN  ARNOLD. 

At  last  his  prayers  overcame  the  maiden's  scruples,  and  she 
arranged  to  receive  him  in  her  sea-girt  tower,  promising  at  a 
given  hour  to  light  a  torch  and  hold  it  aloft  to  guide  him  safely 
across  the  sea.  Then  only  he  departed. 

Night  came  on  ;  darkness  stole  over  the  earth ;  and  Leander 
impatiently  paced  the  sandy  shore,  and  watched  for  the  promised 
signal,  which  no  sooner  appeared,  than  he  exultantly  plunged  into 
the  dark  waves,  and  parted  them  with  lusty  strokes,  as  he  hastened 
across  the  deep  to  join  his  beloved.  At  times  the  huge  billows 
towered  above  his  head  ;  but  when  he  had  escaped  their  threaten- 
ing depths,  and  rose  up  on  their  foamy  crests,  he  could  catch  a 
glimpse  of  the  torch  burning  brightly,  and  pictured  to  himself 
the  shy,  sweet  blushes  which  would  dye  Hero's  cheek  as  he 
clasped  her  to  his  passionate  heart. 

"  Leander  had  no  fear  —  he  cleft  the  wave  — 
What  is  the  peril  fond  hearts  will  not  brave  !  " 

LANDON. 

Venus,  from  the  top  of  "many-peaked  Olympus,"  smilingly 
viewed  the  success  of  her  scheme,  and  nerved  Leander's  arm  to 
cleave  the  rapid  current.  At  last  he  reached  the  tower  steps,  and 
was  lovingly  greeted  by  Hero,  whose  heart  had  throbbed  with 
anxiety  at  the  thought  of  the  perils  her  lover  was  braving  for  the 
sake  of  seeing  her  once  more. 

It  was  only  when  the  dawn  began  to  whiten  the  east,  that  the 
lovers  finished  their  interview  and  parted,  he  to  return  to  Abydus, 
and  she  to  prepare  for  the  daily  duties  which  would  soon  claim 
her  attention.  But  separation  by  day  was  all  these  fond  lovers 
could  endure,  and  night  after  night,  as  soon  as  the  first  stars  ap- 
peared, Hero  lighted  her  torch,  and  Leander  hastened  to  her,  to 
linger  by  her  side  till  dawn. 


114  CLASSICAL  MYTHS. 

"  Thus  pass'd  the  summer  shadows  in  delight: 
Leander  came  as  surely  as  the  night, 
And  when  the  morning  woke  upon  the  sea, 
It  saw  him  not,  for  back  at  home  was  he." 

HUNT. 

No  one  suspected  their  meetings ;  and  all  went  well  until  the 
first  fierce  storms  of  winter  swept  down  over  the  Hellespont. 
Hero,  in  the  gray  dawn  of  a  winter's  morning,  besought  her  lover 
not  to  leave  her  to  battle  against  the  waves,  which  beat  so  vio- 
lently against  the  stone  tower ;  but  he  gently  laughed  at  her  fears, 
and  departed,  promising  to  return  at  night  as  usual. 

The  storm,  which  had  raged  so  fiercely  already  in  the  early 
morning,  increased  in  violence  as  the  day  wore  on,  until  the 
waves  were  lashed  into  foam,  while  the  wind  howled  more  and 
more  ominously  as  the  darkness  came  on  again ;  but  none  of 
these  signs  could  deter  Leander  from  visiting  Hero. 

"There  came  one  night,  the  wildest  of  the  year, 
When  the  wind  smote  like  edge  of  hissing  spear, 
And  the  pale  breakers  thundered  on  the  beach." 

EDWIN  ARNOLD. 

All  day  long  Hero  had  hoped  that  her  lover  would  renounce 
his  nightly  journey ;  but  still,  when  evening  came,  she  lighted 
her  torch  to  serve  as  beacon,  should  he  risk  all  to  keep  his  word. 
The  wind  blew  so  fiercely,  that  the  torch  wavered  and  flickered, 
and  nearly  went  out,  although  Hero  protected  its  feeble  flame 
by  standing  over  it  with  outstretched  robes. 

At  sight  of  the  wonted  signal,  Leander,  who  had  already  once 
been  beaten  back  by  the  waves,  made  a  second  attempt  to  cross 
the  strait,  calling  upon  the  gods  to  lend  him  their  aid.  But 
this  time  his  prayers  were  unheard,  drowned  in  the  fury  of  the 
storm ;  yet  he  struggled  on  a  while  longer,  with  Hero's  name  on 
his  lips. 

At  last,  exhausted  and  ready  to  sink,  he  lifted  his  eyes  once 
more  to  view  the  cheering  light.  It  was  gone,  extinguished  by 


HERO  AND  LEANDER.—  Bodenhausen. 


("5) 


n  6  CLASSICAL  MYTHS. 

a  passing  gust  of  wind.     Like  a  stone  Leander  sank,  once,  twice, 
thrice,  and  the  billows  closed  forever  over  his  head. 

Hero  in  the  mean  while  had  relighted  her  torch,  and,  quite  un- 
conscious of  the  tragedy  which  had  taken  place,  stood  on  the 
tower,  straining  her  eyes  to  pierce  the  darkness.  All  night  long 
she  waited  and  watched  for  the  lover  who  did  not  come ;  and, 
when  the  first  sunbeams  shone  over  the  tossing  sea,  she  cast  an 
anxious  glance  over  the  waters  to  Abydus.  No  one  was  in 
sight  as  far  as  she  could  see.  She  was  about  to  descend  to 
pursue  her  daily  tasks,  when,  glancing  at  the  foot  of  the  tower, 
she  saw  her  lover's  corpse  heaving  up  and  down  on  the  waves. 

"  As  shaken  on  his  restless  pillow, 
His  head  heaves  with  the  heaving  billow; 
That  hand,  whose  motion  is  not  life, 
Yet  feebly  seems  to  menace  strife, 
Flung  by  the  tossing  tide  on  high, 
Then  level'd  with  the  wave." 

BYRON. 

Hero's  heart  broke  at  this  sad  sight,  and  she  longed  to  die, 
too,  that  she  might  not  be  parted  from  Leander.  To  hasten 
their  meeting,  she  threw  herself  into  the  sea,  and  perished  in  the 
waves,  close  by  his  side. .  Thus  lived  and  died  the  faithful  lovers, 
whose  attachment  has  passed  into  a  proverb. 

Byron,  the  celebrated  English  bard,  attempted  Leander's  feat 
of  swimming  across  the  Hellespont,  and,  on  his  return  from 
that  dangerous  venture,  wrote  the  following  lines,  which  are  so 
familiar  to  all  English-speaking  people :  — 

"  The  winds  are  high  on  Helle's  wave, 

As  on  that  night  of  stormy  water 
When  Love,  who  sent,  forgot  to  save 
The  young,  the  beautiful,  the  brave, 

The  lonely  hope  of  Sestos'  daughter. 
Oh  !  when  alone  along  the  sky 
Her  turret  torch  was  blazing  high, 
Though  rising  gale,  and  breaking  foam, 
And  shrieking  sea-birds  warn'd  him  home } 


VENUS.  1 1  7 

And  clouds  aloft  and  tides  below, 

With  signs  and  sounds,  forbade  to  go, 

He  could  not  see,  he  would  not  hear, 

Or  sound  or  sign  foreboding  fear ; 

His  eye  but  saw  that  light  of  love, 

The  only  star  it  hail'd  above ; 

His  ear  but  rang  with  Hero's  song, 

'  Ye  waves,  divide  not  lovers  long  ! ' 

That  tale  is  old,  but  love  anew 

May  nerve  young  hearts  to  prove  as  true." 

An  equally  loving  and  unfortunate  pair  were   Pyramus  and 
Thisbe.     Although  no  waves  divided  them,  and  they  had  the 
good  fortune  to  occupy  adjoining  houses  in  Baby-        pyramus 
Ion,  their  parents  having  quarreled,  they  were  for-     and  Thisbe- 
forbidden  to  see  or  speak  to  each  other.     This  decree  wrung 
their  tender  hearts ;  and  their  continuous  sighs  finally  touched 
Venus,  who  prepared  to  give  them  her  aid.      Thanks  to  this 
goddess's  kind  offices,  a  crack  was  discovered  in  the  party  wall, 
through  which  the  lovers  could  peep  at  each  other,  converse, 
and  even,  it  is  said,  exchange  a  kiss  or  two. 

Sundry  stolen  interviews  through  this  crack  made  them  long 
for  uninterrupted  and  unrestrained  meetings :  so  they  made  an 
appointment  to  meet  on  a  certain  day  and  hour,  under  a  white 
mulberry  tree,  just  without  the  city  gates. 

Thisbe,  anxious  to  see  her  lover,  was  the  first  to  reach  the 
trysting  place,  and,  as  she  slowly  paced  back  and  forth  to  while 
away  the  time  of  waiting,  she  wondered  what  had  happened  to 
delay  Pyramus.  Her  meditation  was  suddenly  broken  by  a  rus- 
tling sound  in  some  neighboring  bushes ;  and,  thinking  Pyramus 
was  concealed  there,  she  was  about  to  call  to  him  that  he  was 
discovered,  when,  instead  of  her  lover,  she  saw  a  lion  emerge  from 
the  thicket  and  come  towards  her,  slowly  lashing  his  sides  with 
his  tail,  and  licking  his  bloody  jaws.  With  one  terrified  shriek 
the  girl  ran  away,  dropping  her  veil,  which  the  lion  caught  in  his 
bloody  mouth  and  tore  to  shreds,  before  beating  a  retreat  into 
the  forest. 


n8  CLASSICAL   MYTHS. 

Shortly  after,  Pyramus  came  rushing  up,  out  of  breath,  and 
full  of  loving  excuses  for  Thisbe,  who  was  not  there,  however, 
to  receive  them.  Wondering  at  her  absence,  Pyramus  looked 
around,  and  after  a  short  investigation  discerned  the  lion's  foot- 
prints and  the  mangled  veil.  These  signs  sufficed  to  convince 
him  that  Thisbe  had  perished,  and  in  a  fit  of  despair  he  drew 
his  dagger  from  its  sheath  and  thrust  it  into  his  heart. 

A  few  minutes  later,  Thisbe  cautiously  drew  near,  peering 
anxiously  about  to  discover  whether  the  lion  were  still  lurking 
near.  Her  first  glance  showed  her  Pyramus  stretched  dead  be- 
neath the  mulberry  tree,  with  her  bloody  veil  pressed  convulsively 
to  his  lips.  With  a  cry  of  terror  she  flew  to  his  side,  and  tried 
to  revive  him  ;  but,  when  assured  that  all  her  efforts  were  in  vain, 
she  drew  the  dagger  from  his  breast,  and,  plunging  it  into  her 
own  bosom,  fell  beside  him  quite  lifeless. 

"  In  her  bosom  plunged  the  sword, 
All  warm  and  reeking  from  its  slaughtered  lord. " 

OVID  (Eusden's  tr.). 

Since  that  ominous  day  the  fruit  of  the  mulberry  tree,  which 
had  been  white,  assumed  a  blood-like  hue,  dyed  by  the  blood 
which  flowed  from  the  death  wounds  of  Pyramus  and  Thisbe. 

The  lovely  and  talkative  nymph  Echo  lived  free  from  care 
and  whole  of  heart  until  she  met  Narcissus,  hunting  in  the  for- 

Echo  and       est-      This  frivolous  young  lady  no  sooner  beheld 

Narcissus.  tne  yOUth,  than  she  fell  deeply  in  love  with  him, 
and  was  proportionately  grieved  when  she  saw  that  he  did  not 
return  her  affections. 

All  her  blandishments  were  unavailing,  and,  in  her  despair  at 
his  hard-heartedness,  she  implored  Venus  to  punish  him  by  mak- 
ing him  suffer  the  pangs  of  unrequited  love ;  then,  melancholy  • 
and  longing  to  die,  she  wandered  off  into  the  mountains,  far 
from  the  haunts  of  her  former  companions,  and  there,  brooding 
continually  over  her  sorrow,  pined  away  until  there  remained 
naught  of  her  but  her  melodious  voice. 


VEA'L'S.  119 

The  gods,  displeased  at  her  lack  of  proper  pride,  condemned 
her  to  haunt  rocks  and  solitary  places,  and,  as  a  warning  to 
other  impulsive  maidens,  to  repeat  the  last  sounds  which  fell 
upon  her  ear. 

"  But  her  voice  is  still  living  immortal,  — 
The  same  you  have  frequently  heard 
In  your  rambles  in  valleys  and  forests, 
Repeating  your  ultimate  word." 

SAXE. 

Venus  alone  had  not  forgotten  poor  Echo's  last  passionate 
prayer,  and  was  biding  her  time  to  punish  the  disdainful  Nar- 
cissus. One  day,  after  a  prolonged  chase,  he  hurried  to  a  lonely 
pool  to  slake  his  thirst. 

"  In  some  delicious  ramble,  he  had  found 
A  little  space,  with  boughs  all  woven  round ; 
And  in  the  midst  of  all,  a  clearer  pool 
Than  e'er  reflected  in  its  pleasant  cool 
The  blue  sky  here,  and  there,  serenely  peeping 
Through  tendril  wreaths  fantastically  creeping." 

KEATS. 

Quickly  he  knelt  upon  the  grass,  and  bent  over  the  pellucid 
waters  to  take  a  draught;  but  he  suddenly  paused,  surprised. 
Down  near  the  pebbly  bottom  he  saw  a  face  so  passing  fair,  that 
he  immediately  lost  his  heart,  for  he  thought  it  belonged  to  some 
water  nymph  gazing  up  at  him  through  the  transparent  flood. 

With  sudden  passion  he  caught  at  the  beautiful  apparition ; 
but,  the  moment  his  arms  touched  the  water,  the  nymph  vanished. 
Astonished  and  dismayed,  he  slowly  withdrew  to  a  short  dis- 
tance, and  breathlessly  awaited  the  nymph's  return. 

The  agitated  waters  soon  resumed  their  mirror-like  smooth- 
ness ;  and  Narcissus,  approaching  noiselessly  on  tiptoe,  and 
cautiously  peeping  into  the  pool,  became  aware  first  of  curly, 
tumbled  locks,  and  then  of  a  pair  of  beautiful,  watchful,  anxious 
eyes.  Evidently  the  nymph  had  just  concluded  to  emerge  from 
her  hiding  place  to  reconnoiter. 


120  CLASSICAL  MYTHS. 

More  prudent  this  time,  the  youth  gradually  bent  further  over 
the  pool ;  and,  reassured  by  his  kindly  glances,  the  nymph's 
whole  head  appeared.  In  gentle  tones  the  youth  now  addressed 
her ;  and  her  ruby  lips  parted  and  moved  as  if  she  were  answer- 
ing, though  not  a  sound  came  to  his  ear.  In  his  excitement  he 
began  to  gesticulate,  whereupon  two  snowy  arms  repeated  his 
every  gesture ;  but  when,  encouraged  by  her  loving  glances  and 
actions,  he  tried  once  more  to  clasp  her  in  his  arms,  she  vanished 
as  rapidly  as  the  first  time. 

Time  and  again  the  same  pantomime  was  enacted,  and  time 
and  again  the  nymph  eluded  his  touch ;  but  the  enamored  youth 
could  not  tear  himself  away  from  the  spot  haunted  by  this  sweet 
image,  whose  sensitive  face  reflected  his  every  emotion,  and  who 
grew  as  pale  and  wan  as  he,  —  evidently,  like  him,  a  victim  to 
love  and  despair. 

The  shades  of  night  could  not  even  drive  Narcissus  away 
from  his  post,  and,  when  the  pale  moonbeams  illumined  his  re- 
treat, he  bent  over  the  pool  to  ascertain  whether  she  too  were 
anxious  and  sleepless,  and  saw  her  gazing  longingly  up  at  him. 

There  Narcissus  lingered  day  and  night,  without  eating  or 
drinking,  until  he  died,  little  suspecting  that  the  fancied  nymph 
was  but  his  own  image  reflected  in  the  clear  waters.  Echo  was 
avenged ;  but  the  gods  of  Olympus  gazed  compassionately  down 
upon  the  beautiful  corpse,  and  changed  it  into  a  flower  bearing 
the  youth's  name,  which  has  ever  since  flourished  beside  quiet 
pools,  wherein  its  pale  image  is  clearly  reflected. 

"A  lonely  flower  he  spied, 

A  meek  and  forlorn  flower,  with  naught  of  pride, 
Drooping  its  beauty  o'er  the  watery  clearness, 
To  woo  its  own  sad  image  into  nearness : 
Deaf  to  light  Zephyrus  it  would  not  move  ; 
But  still  would  seem  to  droop,  to  pine,  to  love." 

KEATS. 

Pygmalion,  King  of  Cyprus,  was  a  very  celebrated  sculptor. 
All  his  leisure  moments  were  spent  in  the  faithful  portrayal  of  the 


VENUS.  1 2 1 

gods  and  goddesses.  One  day  his  practiced  hand  fashioned  an 
image  of  Galatea.  It  was  so  beautiful  that  even  before  it  was 
entirely  finished  its  author  loved  it.  When  com- 

Pygmalion 

pleted,  Pygmalion  admired  it  still  more,  deemed  and 

it  too  beautiful  to  remain  inanimate,  and  besought 
Venus  to  give  it  life,  stating  that  he  wished  a  wife  just  like  it. 
As  Pygmalion  had  always  been  an  obdurate  bachelor,  and 
had  frequently  declared  he  would  never  marry,  Venus  was  de- 
lighted to  see  him  at  last  a  victim  of  the  tender  passion,  and  re- 
solved to  grant  his  request.  Pygmalion  clasped  the  exquisite 
image  to  his  breast  to  infuse  some  of  his  own  warmth  into  the 
icy  bosom,  and  pressed  kiss  after  kiss  upon  the  chiseled  lips, 
until  at  last  they  grew  soft  and  warm  at  his  touch,  and  a  faint 
color  flushed  the  pale  cheeks,  as  a  breath  dilated  her  lungs,  and 
sent  her  blood  coursing  along  her  veins, — 

"  As  once  with  prayers  in  passion  flowing, 
Pygmalion  embraced  the  stone, 
Till,  from  the  frozen  marble  glowing, 
The  light  of  feeling  o'er  him  shone." 

SCHILLER. 

Pygmalion's  delight  at  seeing  his  fair  image  a  living  and 
breathing  maiden  was  unbounded,  and  after  a  short  but  passion- 
ate wooing  the  object  of  his  affections  became  his  happy  wife. 

In  those  same  remote  ages  of  "sweet  mythology"  there  lived 
a  king  whose  three  daughters  were  world-renowned  on  account 
of  their  matchless  beauty.     Psyche,  the  youngest      Cupld  and 
of  the  sisters,  was  so  lovely,  that  her  father's  subjects        Psyche, 
declared  her  worthy  to  be  called  the  Goddess  of  Beauty,  and 
offered  to  pay  homage  to  her  instead  of  to  Venus.    Offended  by 
this  proposal,  which  Psyche  had  good  sense  enough  to  refuse, 
Venus  resolved  to  demonstrate  forcibly  to  that  benighted  race 
that  the  maiden  was  mortal.      She  therefore  bade  her  son  Cupid 
slay  her. 

Armed  with  his  bow  and  arrows,  and  provided  with  a  deadly 
poison,  Cupid  set  out  to  do  her  bidding,  and  at  nightfall  reached 


122  CLASSICAL   MYTHS. 

the  palace,  crept  noiselessly  past  the  sleeping  guards,  along  the 
deserted  halls,  and  came  to  Psyche's  apartment,  into  which  he 
glided  unseen.  Stealthily  he  approached  the  couch  upon  which 
the  fair  maiden  was  sleeping,  and  bent  over  her  to  administer  the 
poisoned  dose. 

A  moonbeam  falling  athwart  her  face  revealed  her  unequaled 
loveliness,  and  made  Cupid  start  back  in  surprise ;  but,  as  he  did 
so,  one  of  his  own  love  arrows  came  into  contact  with  his  rosy 
flesh,  and  inflicted  a  wound,  from  which  he  was  to  suffer  for 
many  a  weary  day. 

All  unconscious  of  the  gravity  of  his  hurt,  he  hung  enraptured 
over  the  sleeping  maiden,  and  let  her  fair  image  sink  into  his 
heart ;  then,  noiselessly  as  he  had  entered,  he  stole  out  again, 
vowing  he  would  never  harm  such  innocence  and  beauty. 

Morning  dawned.  Venus,  who  had  expected  to  see  the  sun 
illumine  her  rival's  corpse,  saw  her  sporting  as  usual  in  the  pal- 
ace gardens,  and  bitterly  realized  that  her  first  plan  had  com- 
pletely failed.  She  therefore  began  to  devise  various  torments 
of  a  petty  kind,  and  persecuted  the  poor  girl  so  remorselessly, 
that  she  fled  from  home  with  the  firm  intention  of  putting  an 
end  to  the  life  she  could  no  longer  enjoy  in  peace. 

To  achieve  this  purpose,  Psyche  painfully  toiled  up  a  rugged 
mountain,  and,  creeping  to  the  very  edge  of  a  great  precipice, 
cast  herself  down,  expecting  to  be  dashed  to  pieces  on  the 
jagged  rocks  below ;  but  Cupid,  who  had  indignantly  though 
helplessly  seen  all  his  mother's  persecutions,  had  followed  Psyche 
unseen,  and,  when  he  perceived  her  intention  to  commit  suicide, 
he  called  to  Zephyrus  (the  South  Wind),  and  entreated  him  to 
catch  the  maiden  in  his  strong  yet  gentle  arms,  and  bear  her 
off  to  a  distant  isle. 

Consequently,  instead  of  a  swift,  sharp  fall  and  painful  death, 
Psyche  felt  herself  gently  wafted  over  hill  and  dale,  across  spar- 
kling waters ;  and,  long  before  she  wearied  of  this  new  mode  of 
travel,  she  was  gently  laid  on  a  flowery  bank,  in  the  midst  of  an 
exquisite  garden. 


VENUS.  1 23 

Bewildered,  she  slowly  rose  to  her  feet,  rubbed  her  pretty  eyes 
to  make  sure  she  was  not  dreaming,  and  wonderingly  strolled 
about  the  beautiful  grounds.  Ere  long  she  came  to  an  en- 
chanted palace,  whose  portals  opened  wide  to  receive  her,  while 
gentle  voices  bade  her  enter,  and  invisible  hands  drew  her  over 
the  threshold  and  waited  upon  her. 

\Yhen  night  came,  and  darkness  again  covered  the  earth, 
Cupid  appeared  in  search  of  his  beloved  Psyche.  In  the  per- 
fumed dusk  he  confessed  his  love,  and  tenderly  begged  for  some 
return. 

Now,  although  the  fading  light  would  not  permit  her  to  dis- 
cern the  form  or  features  of  her  unknown  lover,  Psyche  listened 
to  his  soft  tones  with  unconcealed  pleasure,  and  soon  con- 
sented to  their  union.  Cupid  then  entreated  her  to  make  no 
attempt  to  discover  his  name,  or  to  catch  a  glimpse  of  his  face, 
warning  her  that  if  she  did  so  he  would  be  forced  to  leave  her, 
never  to  return. 

"  '  Dear,  I  am  with  thee  only  while  I  keep 
My  visage  hidden  ;  and  if  thou  once  shouldst  see 
My  face,  I  must  forsake  thee:  the  high  gods 
Link  Love  with  Faith,  and  he  withdraws  himself 
From  the  full  gaze  of  Knowledge.' " 

LEWIS  MORRIS. 

Psyche  solemnly  promised  to  respect  her  mysterious  lover's 
wishes,  and  gave  herself  up  entirely  to  the  enjoyment  of  his  com- 
pany. All  night  long  they  talked  ;  and  when  the  first  faint  streak 
of  light  appeared  above  the  horizon,  Cupid  bade  Psyche  fare- 
well, promising  to  return  with  the  welcome  shades  of  night.  All 
day  long  Psyche  thought  of  him,  longed  for  him,  and,  as  soon  as 
the  sun  had  set,  sped  to  the  bower  where  the  birds  were  sleepily 
trilling  forth  their  evening  song,  and  breathlessly  waited  until  he 
came  to  join  her. 

"  Now  on  broad  pinions  from  the  realms  above 
Descending  Cupid  seeks  the  Cyprian  grove,- 


124  CLASSICAL   MYTHS. 

To  his  wide  arms  enamor'd  Psyche  springs, 

And  clasps  her  lover  with  aurelian  wings. 

A  purple  sash  across  His  shoulder  bends, 

And  fringed  with  gold  the  quiver'd  shafts  suspends." 

DARWIN. 

Although  the  hours  of  day  seemed  interminable,  spent  as  they 
were  in  complete  solitude,  Psyche  found  the  hours  of  night  all 
too  short  in  the  sweet  society  of  Love.  Her  every  wish  was 
gratified  almost  as  soon  as  expressed ;  and  at  last,  encouraged 
by  her  lover's  evident  anxiety  to  please  her,  she  gave  utterance 
to  her  longing  to  see  and  converse  with  her  sisters  once  more. 
The  ardent  lover  could  not  refuse  to  grant  this  request,  yet 
Psyche  noticed  that  his  consent  seemed  somewhat  hesitating  and 
reluctant. 

The  next  morning,  while  enjoying  a  solitary  stroll,  Psyche  sud- 
denly encountered  her  two  sisters.  After  rapturous  embraces 
and  an  incoherent  volley  of  questions  and  answers,  they  settled 
down  to  enjoy  a  long  talk.  Psyche  related  her  desperate  at- 
tempt at  suicide,  her  miraculous  preservation  from  certain  death, 
her  aerial  journey,  her  entrance  into  the  enchanted  palace,  her 
love  for  her  mysterious  nightly  visitor,  —  all,  in  short,  that  had 
happened  since  she  had  left  her  father's  home. 

Now,  the  elder  sisters  had  always  been  jealous  of  Psyche's 
superior  beauty ;  and  when  they  saw  her  luxurious  surroundings, 
and  heard  her  raptures  about  her  lover,  they  were  envious,  and 
resolved  to  mar  the  happiness  which  they  could  not  enjoy. 
They  therefore  did  all  in  their  power  to  convince  poor  Psyche 
that  her  lover  must  be  some  monster,  so  hideous  that  he  dare  not 
brave  the  broad  light  of  day,  lest  he  should  make  her  loathe  him, 
and  further  added,  that,  if  she  were  not  very  careful,  he  would 
probably  end  by  devouring  her. 

They  thereupon  advised  poor  troubled  Psyche  to  conceal  a 
lamp  and  dagger  in  her  lover's  apartment,  and  to  gaze  upon  him 
in  secret,  when  his  eyes  were  closed  in  sleep.  If  the  light  of  the 
lamp  revealed,  as  they  felt  sure  it  would,  the  hideous  coun- 


CUPID  AND  PSYCHE.—  Canova. 
( Louvre,  Paris. ) 


("5) 


I '2 6  CLASSICAL   MYTHS. 

tenance  and  distorted  form  of  a  monster,  they  bade  her  use  the 
dagger  to  kill  him.  Then,  satisfied  with  their  work,  the  sisters 
departed,  leaving  Psyche  alone  to  carry  out  their  evil  sugges- 
tions. 

When  safe  at  home  once  more,  the  sisters  constantly  brooded 
over  the  tale  Psyche  had  poured  into  their  ears,  and,  hoping  to 
secure  as  luxurious  a  home  and  as  fascinating  a  lover,  they  each 
hurried  off  in  secret  to  the  mountain  gorge,  cast  themselves  over 
the  precipice,  and  —  perished. 

Night  having  come,  bringing  the  usually  so  welcome  Cupid,' 
Psyche,  tortured  with  doubt,  could  with  difficulty  conceal  her 
agitation.  After  repeated  efforts  to  charm  her  from  her  silent 
mood,  Cupid  fell  asleep  ;  and,  as  soon  as  his  regular  breathing  pro- 
claimed him  lost  in  slumber,  Psyche  noiselessly  lighted  her  lamp, 
seized  her  dagger,  and,  approaching  the  couch  with  great  caution, 
bent  over  her  sleeping  lover.  The  lamp,  which  she  held  high 
above  her  head,  cast  its  light  full  upon  the  face  and  form  of  a 
handsome  youth. 

"  Now  trembling,  now  distracted ;  bold, 
And  now  irresolute  she  seems ; 
The  blue  lamp  glimmers  in  her  hold, 
And  in  her  hand  the  dagger  gleams. 
Prepared  to  strike,  she  verges  near, 
Then,  the  blue  light  glimmering  from  above, 
The  hideous  sight  expects  with  fear  — 
And  gazes  on  the  god  of  Love." 

APOLLONIUS. 

Psyche's  heart  beat  loudly  with  joy  and  pride  as  she  beheld, 
instead  of  the  monster,  this  graceful  youth ;  and  as  she  hung  over 
him,  enraptured,  she  forgot  all  caution.  An  inadvertent  motion 
tipped  her  lamp,  and  one  drop  of  burning  oil,  running  over  the 
narrow  brim,  fell  upon  Cupid's  naked  shoulder. 

The  sudden  pain  made  him  open  his  eyes  with  a  start.  The 
lighted  lamp,  the  glittering  dagger,  the  trembling  Psyche,  told 
the  whole  story.  Cupid  sprang  from  the  couch,  seized  his  bow 


VENUS.  127 

and  arrows,  and,  with  a  last  sorrowful,  reproachful  glance  at 
Psyche,  flew  away  through  the  open  window,  exclaiming,  — 

"  '  Farewell !     There  is  no  Love  except  with  Faith, 
And  thine  is  dead  !     Farewell !     I  come  no  more  ! '  " 

LEWIS  MORRIS. 

When  he  had  vanished  into  the  dusky  air  without,  the  balmy 
night  winds  ceased  to  blow ;  and  suddenly  a  tempest  began  to 
rage  with  such  fury,  that  poor  frightened  Psyche         Psyche 
dared  not  remain  alone  in  the  palace,  but  hastened        forsaken, 
out  into  the  gardens,  where  she  soon  lost  consciousness  of  her 
misery  in  a  deep  swoon.     When  she  opened  her  eyes  once  more, 
the  storm  had  ceased,  the  sun  was  high  in  the  heavens,  and 
palace  and  gardens  had  vanished. 

Poor  Psyche  lingered  there  the  following  and  many  succeeding 
nights,  vainly  hoping  for  Cupid's  return,  and  shedding  many  bit- 
ter tears  of  repentance.  Finally  she  resolved  to  commit  suicide, 
and,  with  that  purpose  in  view,  plunged  into  a  neighboring  river ; 
but  the  god  of  the  stream  caught  and  carried  her  ashore,  where 
his  daughters,  the  water  nymphs,  restored  her  to  life.  Thus 
forced  to  live,  Psyche  wandered  about  disconsolate,  seeking 
Cupid,  and  questioning  all  she  met,  the  nymphs,  Pan,  and  Ceres, 
who  compassionately  listened  to  her  confession  of  love  for  her 
husband. 

"Not  as  the  earthly  loves  which  throb  and  flush 
Round  earthly  shrines  was  mine,  but  a  pure  spirit, 
Lovelier  than  all  embodied  love,  more  pure 
And  wonderful ;  but  never  on  his  eyes 
I  looked,  which  still  were  hidden,  and  I  knew  not 
The  fashion  of  his  nature  ;  for  by  night, 
When  visual  eyes  are  blind,  but  the  soul  sees, 
Came  he,  and  bade  me  seek  not  to  inquire 
Or  whence  he  came  or  wherefore.     Nor  knew  I 
His  name.     And  always  ere  the  coming  day, 
As  if  he  were  the  Sun  god,  lingering 
With  some  too  well  loved  maiden,  he  would  rise 

And  vanish  until  eve." 

LEWIS  MORRIS. 


128  CLASSICAL  MYTHS. 

Ceres  had  often  seen  Cupid,  and  had  heard  that  very  morn- 
ing that  he  was  having  a  wound  in  his  shoulder  dressed  by 
Venus :  so  she  advised  Psyche  to  go  to  the  Goddess  of  Beauty,  to 
enter  her  service,  and  to  perform  every  task  with  cheerful  alac- 
rity, knowing  that  such  a  course  would  ultimately  bring  about  a 
meeting  and  reconciliation  between  the  lovers. 

Psyche  gratefully  accepted  and  followed  Ceres'  advice,  and 
labored  early  and  late  to  satisfy  her  exacting  mistress,  who  ap- 
pointed such  difficult  tasks,  that  the  poor  girl  would  never  have 
been  able  to  accomplish  them  had  she  not  been  aided  by  all  the 
beasts  and  insects,  who  loved  her  dearly. 

Venus  repeatedly  tested  her  fidelity  and  endurance,  and  finally 

resolved,  as  a  crucial  experiment,  to  send  her  to  Hades  to  fetch 

a  box  of  beauty  ointment,  for  which  Proserpina 

Psyche  s 

journey  to  alone  had  the  recipe.  Directed  by  Zephyrus,  her 
old  friend,  Psyche  encountered  the  terrors  of  Hades 
in  safety,  delivered  her  message,  and  in  return  received  a  small 
box.  The  gates  of  Hades  were  closed  behind  her,  and  she  had 
nearly  finished  her  last  task,  when  she  suddenly  fancied  that  it 
would  be  wise  to  appropriate  a  little  of  the  magic  preparation  to 
efface  the  traces  of  sleepless  nights  and  many  tears. 

The  box,  however,  contained  naught  but  the  spirit  of  Sleep, 
who,  pouncing  upon  Psyche,  laid  her  low  by  the  roadside. 
Cupid,  passing  by,  saw  her  there,  marked  the  ravages  of  grief, 
remembered  his  love  and  her  suffering,  and,  wrestling  with  the 
spirit,  forced  him  to  reenter  the  narrow  bounds  of  his  prison, 
and  woke  Psyche  with  a  loving  kiss. 

"  'Dear,  unclose  thine  eyes. 
Thou  mayst  look  on  me  now.     I  go  no  more, 
But  am  thine  own  forever.'  " 

LEWIS  MORRIS. 

Then,  hand  in  hand,  they  winged  their  flight  to  Olympus, 
entered  the  council  hall ;  and  there  Cupid  presented  Psyche,  his 
chosen  bride,  to  the  assembled  deities,  who  all  promised  to  be 
present  at  the  nuptial  ceremony.  Venus  even,  forgetting  all  her 


VENUS  DE  MILO. 
(  Louvre,  Paris. ) 


(129) 


130  CLASSICAL   MYTHS. 

former  envy,  welcomed  the  blushing  bride,  who  was  happy  ever 
after. 

The  ancients,  for  whom  Cupid  was  an  emblem  of  the  heart, 
considered  Psyche  the  personification  of  the  soul,  and  repre- 
sented her  with  butterfly  wings ;  that  little  insect  being  another 
symbol  of  the  soul,  whic"h  cannot  die. 

Venus,  goddess  of  beauty,  is  represented  either  entirely  naked, 
or  with  some  scanty  drapery  called  a  "  cestus."  Seated  in  her 
Worship  of  chariot,  formed  of  a  single  pearl  shell,  and  drawn 
Venus.  by  snow-white  doves,  her  favorite  birds,  she  jour- 
neyed from  shrine  to  shrine,  complacently  admiring  the  lavish 
decorations  of  jewels  and  flowers  her  worshipers  provided.  The 
offerings  of  young  lovers  were  ever  those  which  found  most  favor 
in  her  sight. 

"  Venus  loves  the  whispers 

Of  plighted  youth  and  maid, 
In  April's  ivory  moonlight 
Beneath  the  chestnut  shade." 

MACAULAV. 

Numerous  ancient  and  some  modern  statues  of  this  goddess 
grace  the  various  art  galleries,  but  among  them  all  the  most 
perfect  is  the  world-renowned  Venus  de  Milo. 

Venus'  festivals  were  always  scenes  of  graceful  amusements; 
and  her  votaries  always  wore  wreaths  of  fresh,  fragrant  flowers, 
the  emblem  of  all  natural  beauty. 


CHAPTER    VIII. 

MERCURY. 

As  already  repeatedly  stated  in  the  course  of  this  work,  Jupi- 
ter was  never  a  strictly  faithful  spouse,  and,  in  spite  of  his  wife's 
"  curtain  lectures,"  could  not  refrain  from  indul-         Birth  of 
ging  his  caprice  for  every  pretty  face  he  met  along        Mercury, 
his  way.      It  is  thus,  therefore,  that  he  yielded  to  the  charms 
of  Maia,  goddess  of  the  plains,  and  spent  some  blissful  hours  in 
her  society.     This  divine  couple's  happiness  culminated  when 
they    first   beheld   their  little  son,   Mercury   (Hermes,  Psycho- 
pompus,  Oneicopompus),  who  was  born  in  a  grotto  on  Mount 
Cyllene,  in  Arcadia, — 

"  Mercury,  whom  Maia  bore, 
Sweet  Maia,  on  Cyllene's  hoary  top." 

VIRGIL  (Cowper's  tr.). 

This  infant  god  was  quite  unlike  mortal  children,  as  will 
readily  be  perceived  by  the  numerous  pranks  he  played  imme- 
diately after  his  birth.  First  he  sprang  from  his  mother's  knee, 
grasped  a  tortoise  shell  lying  on  the  ground,  bored  holes  in  its 
sides,  stretched  strings  across  its  concavity,  and,  sweeping  his 
hands  over  them,  produced  strains  of  sweetest  music,  thus  in- 
venting the  first  lyre. 

"  So  tfcere  it  lay,  through  wet  and  dry, 
As  empty  as  the  last  new  sonnet, 
Till  by  and  by  came  Mercury, 
And,  having  mused  upon  it, 


132  CLASSICAL   MYTHS. 

'  Why  here,'  cried  he,  '  the  thing  of  things 
In  shape,  material,  and  dimension  ! 
Give  it  but  strings,  and,  lo,  it  sings, 

A  wonderful  invention.'  " 

LOWELL. 

Being  very  hungry  toward  evening,  young  Mercury  escaped 
from  his  sleeping  mother,  and  sallied  out  in  search  of  food.  He 

Mercury's  had  not  gone  very  far,  before  he  came  to  a  wide 
theft.  meadow,  where  Apollo's  herds  were  at  pasture. 
The  oxen  were  fat  and  sleek  ;  and  the  mischievous  little  god,  after 
satisfying  himself  that  they  were  young,  and  therefore  promised 
to  be  tender  and  juicy,  drove  fifty  of  them  off  to  a  secluded  spot, 
taking  good  care  to  envelop  their  feet  in  leafy  branches,  so  they 
would  leave  no  traces.  Then,  his  hiding  place  being  reached 
in  safety,  Mercury  coolly  killed  two  of  the  oxen,  which  he  pro- 
ceeded to  eat. 

Apollo  soon  missed  his  cattle,  and  began  to  search  for  some 
clew  to  their  hiding  place  or  to  the  thief.  He  could,  however, 
discover  nothing  but  some  broken  twigs  and  scattered  leaves. 
Suddenly  he  remembered  that  the  babe  whose  birth  had  been 
announced  early  that  morning  in  high  Olympus  had  been  ap- 
pointed god  of  thieves.  He  therefore  lost  no  more  time  in  use- 
less search  and  conjecture,  but  strode  off  to  Mount  Cyllene, 
where  he  found  Mercury  peacefully  sleeping  in  his  cradle.  With 
a  rude  shake,  the  sun  god  roused  him  from  his  slumbers,  and 
bade  him  restore  the  stolen  cattle.  Mercury  pretended  inno- 
cence, until  Apollo,  exasperated,  dragged  him  off  to  Olympus, 
where  he  was  convicted  of  the  theft,  and  condemned  to  restore 
the  stolen  property.  Mercury  yielded  to  the  decree,  produced 
the  remaining  oxen,  and,  in  exchange  for  the  two  missing,  gave 
Apollo  the  lyre  he  had  just  fashioned. 

This,  like  most  other  myths,  admits  of  a  natural  explanation. 
Apollo  (the  Sun)  was  supposed  by  the  ancients  to  possess  great 
herds  of  cattle  and  sheep,  —  the  clouds ;  and  Mercury,  the  per- 
sonification of  the  wind,  born  in  the  night,  after  a  few  hours'  ex- 


FLYING  MERCURY.—  Bologna. 
(National  Museum,  Florence.) 


134  CLASSICAL   MYTHS. 

istence  waxes  sufficiently  strong  to  drive  away  the  clouds  and 
conceal  them,  leaving  no  trace  of  his  passage  except  a  few 
broken  branches  and  scattered  leaves. 

The  gift  of  the  lyre  pleased  Apollo  so  well,  that  he  in  return 

wished  to  make  a  present  to  Mercury,  and  gave  him  a  magic 

wand,  called  Caduceus,  which  had  the  power  of 

Mercury's 

wand,  cap,       reconciling  all  conflicting  elements.     Mercury,  anx- 

)es'       ious  to   test  it,  thrust  it  between  two  quarreling 

snakes,  who  immediately  wound  themselves  in  amity  around  it, 

This  so  pleased  him,  that  he  bade  them  remain  there  forever,  and 

used  the  wand  on  all  occasions. 

"  A  snake-encircl'd  wand  ; 
By  classic  authors  term'd  Caduceus 
And  highly  fam'd  for  several  uses." 

GOLDSMITH. 

Mercury  was  in  due  time  appointed  messenger  of  the  gods, 
who,  to  make  him  fleet  of  foot,  presented  him  with  winged  san- 
dals, the  Talaria,  which  endowed  him  with  marvelous  rapidity  of 
motion.  As  these  sandals  did  not  seem  quite  sufficient,  however, 
the  gods  added  the  winged  cap,  Petasus,  to  the  winged  shoes. 

"  Foot-feather'd  Mercury  appear'd  sublime 
Beyond  the  tall  tree  tops ;  and  in  less  time 
Than  shoots  the  slanted  hail-storm,  down  he  dropt 
Towards  the  ground ;  but  rested  not,  nor  stopt 
One  moment  from  his  home ;  only  the  sward 
He  with  his  wand  light  touch'd,  and  heavenward 
Swifter  than  sight  was  gone." 

KEATS. 

Mercury  was  not  only  the  messenger  of  the  gods,  but  was  also 
appointed  god  of  eloquence,  commerce,  rain,  wind,  and  the  special 
patron  of  travelers,  shepherds,  cheats,  thieves,  and  pickpockets. 

Jupiter  often  intrusted  to  Mercury  messages  of  a  delicate 
'  nature,  and  always  found  him  an  invaluable  ally ; 

Story  of  lo. 

but  the  faithful  messenger  was  never  so  much 
needed  or  so  deeply  appreciated  as  during  Jupiter's  courtship 
of  lo,  the  peerless  daughter  of  the  river  god  Inachus. 


MERCURY.  135 

To  avoid  Juno's  recriminations,  Jupiter  had  carried  on  this 
affair  with  even  more  than  his  usual  secrecy,  visiting  his  beloved 
only  when  quite  certain  that  his  wife  was  asleep,  and  taking  the 
further  precaution  of  spreading  a  cloud  over  the  spot  wrhere  he 
generally  met  her,  to  shield  her  from  all  chance  of  being  seen 
from  Olympus. 

One  fine  afternoon,  all  conditions  being  favorable,  Jupiter  has- 
tened down  to  earth  to  see  lo,  and  began  to  stroll  with  her  up 
and  down  the  river  edge.  They  heeded  not  the  noonday  heat, 
for  the  cloud  over  their  heads  screened  them  from  the  sun's  too 
ardent  rays. 

From  some  cause  Juno's  slumbers  were  less  protracted  than 
usual,  and  she  soon  arose  from  her  couch  to  look  about  her 
realm,  the  atmosphere,  and  convince  herself  that  all  was  well. 
Her  attention  was  soon  attracted  by  an  opaque,  immovable 
cloud  near  the  earth,  —  a  cloud  which  had  no  business  there, 
for  had  she  not  bidden  them  all  lie  still  on  the  blue  until  she 
awoke  ?  Her  suspicions  being  aroused  by  the  presence  of  this 
cloud,  she  sought  her  husband  in  Olympus,  and,  not  finding  him, 
flew  down  to  earth,  brushing  the  cloud  aside  in  her  haste. 

Jupiter,  thus  warned  of  her  coming,  had  but  time  to  change 
the  maiden  beside  him  into  a  heifer,  ere  his  wife  alighted  and 
inquired  what  he  was  doing  there.  Carelessly  the  god  pointed 
to  the  heifer,  and  declared  he  had  been  whiling  away  the  time 
by  creating  it ;  but  the  explanation  failed  to  satisfy  Juno,  who, 
seeing  no  other  living  creature  near,  suspected  that  her  spouse 
had  been  engaged  in  a  clandestine  flirtation,  and  had  screened 
its  fair  object  from  her  wrath  only  by  a  sudden  transformation. 

Dissimulating  these  suspicions  with  care,  Juno  begged  her  hus- 
band to  give  her  his  new  creation,  which  request  he  could  not  re- 
fuse, but  granted  most  reluctantly,  thus  adding  further  confirma- 
tion to  her  jealous  fears.  The  Queen  of  Heaven  then  departed, 
taking  lo  with  her,  and  placed  her  under  the  surveillance  of  Argus, 
one  of  her  servants,  who  possessed  myriad  eyes,  but  one  half  of 
which  he  closed  at  a  time. 


136  CLASSICAL   MYTHS. 

"The  eyes  of  Argus,  sentinel  of  Heaven: 
Those  thousand  eyes  that  watch  alternate  kept, 
Nor  all  o'er  all  his  body  waked  or  slept." 

STATIUS  (Elton's  tr.). 

She  bade  him  watch  the  heifer  closely,  and  report  anything 

unusual  in  its  actions.     One  day,  therefore,  as  he  was  watching 

his  charge  pasture  by  the  river,  Argus  heard  her 

Argus'  watch. 

relate  to  her  father,  Inachus,  the  story  of  her  trans- 
formation, and  immediately  imparted  his  discovery  to  Juno,  who, 
advising  still  closer  watchfulness,  sent  him  back  to  his  post. 

Jupiter,  in  the  mean  while,  was  in  despair ;  for  days  had  passed 
without  his  being  able  to  exchange  a  word  with  lo,  or  deliver 
her  from  her  imprisonment.  Finally  he  called  Mercury  to  his 
aid,  and  bade  him  devise  some  plan  to  rescue  her.  Armed  with 
a  handful  of  poppies,  Mercury  approached  Argus,  and  offered 
to  while  away  the  time  by  telling  him  tales. 

As  Mercury  was  the  prince  of  story-tellers,  this  offer  was  not 
to  be  despised,  and  Argus  joyfully  accepted ;  but  instead  of 
exerting  himself  to  be  entertaining,  Mercury  droned  out  such 
lengthy,  uninteresting  stories,  that  Argus  soon  closed  half  his  eyes 
in  profound  sleep.  Still  talking  in  the  same  monotonous  way, 
Mercury  softly  shook  the  poppies  over  the  giant's  head,  until  one 
by  one  the  remaining  eyelids  closed,  and  Argus  was  wrapped  in 
complete  slumber. 

Then  Mercury  seized  the  giant's  sword,  and  with  one  well- 
directed  blow  severed  his  head  from  the  huge  trunk.  Only  one 
half  of  the  task  was  successfully  accomplished ;  and  while  Mer- 
cury was  driving  the  heifer  away,  Juno  discovered  his  attempt, 
and  promptly  sent  an  enormous  gadfly  to  torment  the  poor 
beast,  who,  goaded  to  madness  by  its  cruel  stings,  fled  wildly 
from  one  country  to  another,  forded  streams,  and  finally  plunged 
into  the  sea,  since  called  Ionian.  After  swimming  across  it, 
she  took  refuge  in  Egypt,  where  Jupiter  restored  her  to  all  her 
girlish  loveliness,  and  where  her  son  Epaphus  was  born,  to  be 
the  first  king  and  the  founder  of  Memphis. 


MERCURY.  137 

"  In  coming  time  that  hollow  of  the  sea 
Shall  bear  the  name  Ionian,  and  present 
A  monument  of  lo's  passage  through, 

Unto  all  mortals." 

E.  B.  BROWNING. 

Juno  mourned  the  loss  of  her  faithful  Argus  most  bitterly,  and, 
gathering  up  his  myriad  eyes,  scattered  them  over  the  tail  of 
her  favorite  bird,  the  peacock,  to  have  some  memento  of  her 
faithful  servant  ever  near  her. 

"  From  Argus  slain  a  painted  peacock  grew, 
Fluttering  his  feathers  stain'd  with  various  hue." 

MOSCHUS. 

This  story  is  also  an  allegory.  lo  personifies  the  moon,  rest- 
lessly wandering  from  place  to  place ;  Argus,  the  heavens,  whose 
starry  eyes  keep  ceaseless  watch  over  the  moon's  every  move- 
ment ;  Mercury  is  the  rain,  whose  advent  blots  out  the  stars  one 
by  one,  thus  killing  Argus,  who  else  was  never  known  to  close 
all  his  eyes  at  once. 

To  Mercury  was  intrusted  the  charge  of  conducting  the 
souls  of  the  departed  to  Hades,  and  when  occu-  Mercury's 

.          .  .  offices  and 

pied  m  this  way  he  bore  the  name   of   Psycho-        worship, 
pompus,  while,  when  addressed  as  conductor  of  Dreams,  he  was 
Oneicopompus. 

"  Gently  as  a  kiss  came  Death  to  sever 
From  spirit  flesh,  and  to  the  realm  of  gloom 
The  pallid  shades  with  fearless  brow  descended 
To  Hades,  by  the  winged  god  attended." 

BOYESEN. 

He  was  one  of  the  twelve  principal  gods  of  Olympus,  and 
was  widely  worshiped.  Temples,  altars,  and  shrines  were  dedi- 
cated to  his  service  throughout  the  ancient  countries.  His  statues 
were  considered  sacred  boundary  marks,  and  their  removal  pun- 
ished by  death.  Solemn  annual  festivals  were  held  in  Rome  in 
Mercury's  honor  in  the  month  of  May,  and  from  him  received 
their  name  of  Mercuralia. 


CHAPTER    IX. 

MARS. 

MARS  (Ares),  son  of  Jupiter  and  Juno,  was  the  god  of  war,  the 

personification  of  the  angry  clouded  sky,  and,  although  but  little 

Mars'          worshiped  in   Greece,  was  one  of   the  principal 

character.  Roman  divinities.  He  is  said  to  have  first  seen 
the  light  in  Thrace,  a  country  noted  for  its  fierce  storms  and 
war-loving  people. 

"  Infant  Mars,  where  Thracia's  mountains  rose, 
Press'd  with  his  hardy  limbs  th'  incrusted  snows." 

STATIUS  (Elton's  tr.). 

Never  sated  with  strife  and  bloodshed,  this  god  preferred  the 
din  of  battle  to  all  other  music,  and  found  no  occupation  so 
congenial  as  the  toils  and  dangers  of  war.  No  gentle  deeds  of 
kindness  were  ever  expected  from  him ;  no  loving  prayers  were 
ever  addressed  to  him ;  and  the  ancients  felt  no  love  for  him, 
but,  on  the  contrary,  shuddered  with  terror  when  his  name  was 
mentioned. 

Mars  was  generally  represented  in  a  brilliant  suit  of  armor,  a 
plumed  helmet  on  his  proud  young  head,  a  poised  spear  in  one 
muscular  hand,  and  a  finely  wrought  shield  in  the  other,  showing 
him  ever  ready  to  cope  with  a  foe. 

His  attendants,  or  some  say  his  children,  sympathized  heartily 

Mars'          with  his  quarrelsome  tastes,  and  delighted  in  fol- 

attendants.      iowjng  his  lead.      They  were  Eris  (Discord),  Pho- 

bos  (Alarm),  Metus  (Fear),  Demios  (Dread),  and  Pallor  (Terror). 

Bellona,  or  Enyo,  his  sister,  goddess  of  war,  also  accompanied 

138 


.V.I  AS.  139 

him,  drove  his  chariot,  parried  dangerous  thrusts,  and  watched 
over  his  general  safety.  Brother  and  sister  were  therefore  wor- 
shiped together  in  the  selfsame  temple,  and  their  altars  were  the 
only  ones  ever  polluted  by  human  sacrifices. 

''  And  to  the  fire-ey'd  maid  of  smoky  war, 
All  hot  and  bleeding,  will  we  offer  them : 
The  mailed  Mars  shall  on  his  altar  sit, 

Up  to  the  ears  in  blood."  , 

SHAKESPEARE. 

As  strife  was  his  favorite  element,  Mars  was  very  active  indeed 
during  the  war  between  the  gods  and  giants,  but  in  his  martial 
ardor  he  frequently  forgot  all  caution.  On  one  story  of  otus 
occasion  he  was  obliged  to  surrender  to  Otus  and  and  EPhialtes- 
Ephialtes,  —  two  giants,  who,  though  but  nine  years  of  age,  were 
already  of  immense  stature,  since  they  increased  in  height  at  the 
rate  of  nine  inches  each  month. 

Proud  of  their  victory  over  the  God  of  War,  these  giants  bore 
him  off  in  triumph,  and  bound  him  fast  with  iron  chains  slipped 
through  iron  rings.  Day  and  night  they  kept  watch  over  him ; 
and  even  when  they  slept,  the  rattle  of  the  chains,  whenever  any 
one  of  the  gods  attempted  to  set  him  free,  woke  them  up,  and 
frustrated  all  efforts  to  deliver  him.  During  fifteen  weary 
months  poor  Mars  lingered  there  in  durance  vile,  until  Mercury, 
the  prince  of  thieves,  noiselessly  and  deftly  slipped  the  chains  out 
of  the  rings,  and  restored  him  to  freedom. 

In  revenge  for  the  cruel  treatment  inflicted  by  Otus  and  Ephi- 
altes, Mars  prevailed  upon  Apollo  and  Diana  to  use  their  poisoned 
arrows,  and  thus  rid  the  world  of  these  two  ugly  and  useless  giants. 

Of  a  fiery  disposition,  Mars  was  never  inclined  to  forgive  an 
injury' ;  and  when  Halirrhothius,  Neptune's  son,  dared  to  carry  off 
his  daughter  Alcippe.  Mars  hotly  pursued  the  ab- 

The  Areopagus. 

cluctor,  and  promptly  slew  him.     Neptune,  angry  at 
this  act  of  summary  justice,  cited  the  God  of  War  to  appear 
before  a  tribunal  held  in  the  open  air,  on  a  hill  near  the  newly 
founded  city  of  Athens. 


140  CLASSICAL  MYTHS. 

It  was  then  customary  for  such  cases  to  be  tried  at  night,  in 
utter  darkness,  so  that  the  judges  might  not  be  influenced  by  the 
personal  appearance  of  either  plaintiff  or  defendant ;  and  no 
rhetoric  of  any  kind  was  allowed,  that  their  minds  might  remain 
quite  unbiased.  Mars  appeared  before  the  judges,  simply  stated 
his  case,  and  was  acquitted.  Since  then  the  hill  upon  which  his 
trial  took  place  has  been  called  the  Areopagus  (Ares'  Hill)  or 
Mars'  Hill,  and  the  judges  of  the  principal  court  of  justice  at 
Athens  received  the  name  of  Areopagitae. 

Although  such  a  partisan  of  strife,  Mars  was  not  impervious 

to  softer  emotions,  and  passionately  returned  the  devotion  of  Ve- 

Mars'          nusj  wno  bore  him  three  beautiful  children,  —  Har- 

chiidren.  monia,  Cupid,  and  Anteros.  Mars  also  fell  in  love 
with  a  beautiful  young  Vestal  named  Ilia,  a  descendant  of  ^Eneas, 
who,  in  spite  of  the  solemn  pledge  not  to  listen  to  a  lover's  plead- 
ings until  her  time  of  service  at  the  goddess  Vesta's  altar  was 
accomplished,  yielded  to  Mars'  impetuous  wooing,  and  consented 
to  a  clandestine  union. 

Although  secretly  married,  Ilia  continued  to  dwell  in  the 
temple  until  the  birth  of  her  twin  sons  Romulus  and  Remus. 
Romulus  and  Her  parents,  hearing  she  had  broken  her  vows,  corn- 
Remus,  manded  that  she  should  suffer  the  prescribed  pun- 
ishment of  being  buried  alive,  and  that  the  children  should  be  ex- 
posed to  the  teeth  and  claws  of  the  wild  beasts  of  the  forest. 
The  double  sentence  was  ruthlessly  carried  out,  and  the  young 
mother  perished ;  but,  contrary  to  all  previsions,  the  babes  sur- 
vived, and,  after  having  been  suckled  for  a  time  by  a  she-wolf, 
were  found  and  adopted  by  a  shepherd. 

Romulus  and  Remus  throve  under  this  man's  kind  care,  and 
grew  up  strong  and  fearless.  When  they  reached  manhood,  they 
longed  for  a  wider  sphere  for  their  youthful  activity,  and,  leaving 
the  mountain  where  they  had  grown  up,  journeyed  out  into  the 
world  to  seek  their  fortunes.  After  some  time  they  came  to  a 
beautiful  hilly  country,  where  they  decided  to  found  a  great  city, 
the  capital  of  their  future  realm.  Accordingly  the  brothers  began 


VENUS  DE  MILO  AND  MAR 


(141) 


142  CLASSICAL  MYTHS. 

to  trace  the  outline  of  their  city  limits,  and,  in  doing  so,  quarreled 
over  the  name  of  the  prospective  town. 

Blinded  by  anger,  Romulus  suddenly  raised  the  tool  he  held, 
and  struck  Remus  such  a  savage  blow  that  he  fell  to  the  ground, 
slain  by  his  brother  in  a  fit  of  passion.  Alone  now,  Romulus  at 
first  vainly  tried  to  pursue  his  undertaking,  but,  being  soon  joined 
by  a  number  of  adventurers  as  wicked  and  unscrupulous  as 
he,  they  combined  their  forces,  and  built  the  celebrated  city  of 
Rome. 

"Then,  with  his  nurse's  wolf-skin  girt, 
Shall  Romulus  the  line  assert, 
Invite  them  to  his  new  raised  home, 
And  call  the  martial  city  Rome." 

VIRGIL  (Conington's  tr.). 

As  founder  of  this  city,  Romulus  was  its  first  king,  and  ruled 
the  people  with  such  an  iron  hand  that  his  tyranny  eventually 
became  unbearable.  The  senators,  weary  of  his  exactions  and 
arbitrary  measures,  finally  resolved  to  free  themselves  of  his 
presence.  Taking  advantage  of  an  eclipse,  which  plunged  the 
city  in  sudden  darkness  at  noonday,  and  which  occurred  while 
all  were  assembled  on  the  Forum,  the  magistrates  slew  Romulus, 
cut  his  body  into  pieces,  and  hid  them  under  their  wide  togas. 

When   the   light   returned,    and    the   terrified  and  awestruck 

people,  somewhat  reassured,  looked  about  them  for  their  king, 

they  were  told  he  had  gone,  never  to  return,  carried 

Quirinus. 

off  by  the  immortal  gods,  who  wished  mm  to  share 
their  abode  and  dignity.  The  senators  further  informed  the 
credulous  population  that  Romulus  was  to  be  henceforth  wor- 
shiped as  a  god  under  the  name  of  Quirinus,  and  gave  orders 
for  the  erection  of  a  temple  on  one  of  the  seven  hills,  which 
since  then  has  been  known  as  Mount  Quirinal.  Yearly  festivals 
in  Romulus'  honor  were  ever  after  held  in  Rome,  under  the  name 
of  Quirinalia. 

Well  pleased  with  the  new  city  of  Rome  and  its  turbulent,  law- 
less citizens,  Mars  took  it  under  his  special  protection  ;  and  once, 


J/.IA'S.  143 

when  a  plague  was  raging  which  threatened  to  destroy  all  the 
people,  the  Romans  rushed  in  a  body  to  his  temple,  and  clamored 
for  a  sign  of  his  favor  and  protection. 

Even  while  they  prayed,  it  is  said,  a  shield,  Ancile,  fell  from 
heaven,  and  a  voice  was  distinctly  heard  to  declare  that  Rome 
would  endure  as  long  as  this  token  of  the  god's 
good  will  was  preserved.     The  very  same  day  the 
plague  ceased  its  frightful  ravages,  and  the  Romans,  delighted 
with  the  result  of  their  petitions,  placed  the  heavenly  shield  in 
one  of  their  principal  temples. 

Then,  in  constant  dread  lest  some  of  their  enemies  should  suc- 
ceed in  stealing  it,  they  caused  eleven  other  shields  to  be  made, 
so  exactly  like  the  heaven-sent  Ancile,  that  none  but  the  guardian 
priests,  the  Salii,  who  kept  continual  watch  over  them,  could 
detect  the  original  from  the  facsimiles.  During  the  month  of 
March,  which,  owing  to  its  blustery  weather,  was  dedicated  to 
Mars  and  bore  his  name,  the  ancilse  were  carried  in  a  proces- 
sion all  through  the  city,  the  Salii  chanting  their  rude  war  songs, 
and  executing  intricate  war  dances. 

A  Roman  general,  ere  setting  out  on  any  warlike  expedition, 
always  entered  the  sanctuary  of  Mars,  touched  the  sacred  shield 
with  the  point  of  his  lance,  shook  the  spear  in  the  hand  of  the 
god's  effigy,  and  called  aloud,  "  Mars,  watch  over  us  ! " 

A    common    superstition    among    the    Roman    soldiery   was, 
that  Mars,  under  the  name  of  Gradivus,  marched       -worship 
in  person  at  the  head  of  their  army,  and  led  them        of  Mars- 
on  to  victory.     Mars'  principal  votaries  were  therefore  the  Roman 
soldiers  and  youths,  whose  exercising  ground  was  called,  in  his 
honor,  the  Campus  Martius,  or  Field  of  Mars.     All  the  laurel 
crowns  bestowed  upon  victorious  generals  were  deposited  at  the 
foot  of  his  statues,  and  a  bull  was  the  customary  thank  offering 
after  a  successful  campaign. 

"  The  soldier,  from  successful  camps  returning 
With  laurel  wreath'd,  and  rich  with  hostile  spoil, 

Severs  the  bull  to  Mars." 

PRIOR. 


CHAPTER    X. 

VULCAN. 

VULCAN,  or  Hephaestus,  son  of  Jupiter  and  Juno,  god  of  fire 

and  the  forge,  seldom  joined  the  general  council  of  the  gods. 

His  aversion  to  Olympus  was  of  old  standing.     He 

Vulcan's  fall.  . 

had  once  been  tenderly  attached  to  his  mother, 
had  lavished  upon  her  every  proof  of  his  affection,  and  had 
even  tried  to  console  her  when  she  mourned  Jupiter's  neglect. 
On  one  occasion,  intending  to  punish  Juno  for  one  of  her  usual 
fits  of  jealousy,  Jupiter  hung  her  out  of  heaven,  fast  bound  by  a 
golden  chain  ;  and  Vulcan,  perceiving  her  in  this  plight,  tugged 
at  the  chain  with  all  his  might,  drew  her  up,  and  was  about  to 
set  her  free,  when  Jupiter  returned,  and,  in  anger  at  his  son's 
interference  in  his  matrimonial  concerns,  kicked  him  out  of 
heaven. 

The  intervening  space  between  heaven  and  earth  was  so  great, 
that  Vulcan's  fall  lasted  during  one  whole  day  and  night,  ere  he 
finally  touched  the  summit  of  Mount  Mosychlus,  in  the  Island  of 

Lemnos. 

"  From  morn 

To  noon  he  fell,  from  noon  to  dewy  eve, 
A  summer's  day ;  and  with  the  setting  sun 
Dropt  from  the  zenith  like  a  falling  star, 
On  Lemnos  th'  ^Egean  isle." 

MILTON. 

Of  course,  to  any  one  but  a  god  such  a  terrible  fall  would  have 
proved  fatal ;  and  even  Vulcan  did  not  escape  entirely  unharmed, 
for  he  injured  one  of  his  legs,  which  accident  left  him  lame  and 
somewhat  deformed  for  the  remainder  of  his  life. 

144 


VULCAN.  145 

Now,  although  Vulcan  had  risked  so  much  and  suffered  so 
greatly  in  taking  his  mother's  part,  she  never  even  made  the 
slightest    attempt    to    ascertain    whether    he    had        Vulcan's 
reached  the  earth  in  safety.      Hurt  by  her  indiffer- 
ence and  ingratitude,  Vulcan  vowed  never  again  to  return  to 
Olympus,  and  withdrew  to  the  solitudes  of  Mount  JEtna.,  where 
he  established  a  great  forge  in  the  heart  of  the  mountain,  in 
partnership  with   the  Cyclopes,  who   helped   him    manufacture 
many  cunning  and  useful  objects  from  the  metals  found  in  great 
profusion  in  the  bosom  of  the  earth. 

Among  these  ingenious  contrivances  were  two  golden  hand- 
maidens gifted  with  motion,  who  attended  the  god  wherever  he 
went,  and  supported  his  halting  footsteps. 

"  Two  golden  statues,  like  in  form  and  look 
To  living  maidens,  aided  with  firm  gait 
The  monarch's  steps." 

HOMER  (Bryant's  tr.). 

Vulcan  also  devised  a  golden  throne  with  countless  hidden 
springs,  which,  when  unoccupied,  did  not  present  an  extraordi- 
nary appearance  ;  but  as  soon  as  any  one  ventured      The  golden 
to  make  use  of  it,  the  springs  moved,  and,  the  chair         throne, 
closing  around  the  person  seated  upon  it,  frustrated  all  attempts 
to  rise  and  escape  from  its  treacherous  embrace. 

Vulcan  dispatched  this  throne,  when  completed,  to  his  mother, 
who,  delighted  with  its  beauty  and  delicate  workmanship, 
proudly  seated  herself  upon  it,  and  found  herself  a  prisoner.  In 
vain  she  strove  to  escape,  in  vain  the  gods  all  gallantly  rushed 
to  her  assistance.  Their  united  strength  and  skill  proved  useless 
against  the  cunning  springs. 

Finally  Mercury  was  sent  to  Vulcan,  primed  with  a  most  diplo- 
matic request  to  honor  high  Olympus  with  his  presence;  but 
all  Mercury's  eloquence  and  persuasions  failed  to  induce  the  god 
of  the  forge  to  leave  his  sooty  abode,  and  the  messenger  god 
was  forced  to  return  alone  and  report  the  failure  of  his  attempt. 


(i46) 


VULCAN.  147 

Then  the  gods  deliberated  anew,  and  decided  to  send  Bacchus, 
god  of  wine,  hoping  his  powers  of  persuasion  would  prove  more 
effective. 

Armed  with  a  flask  of  his  choicest  vintage,  Bacchus  presented 
himself  before  Vulcan,  and  offered  him  a  refreshing  draught. 
Vulcan,  predisposed  to  thirst,  and  incited  to  drink  by  the  very 
nature  of  his  labor,  accepted  the  offered  cup,  and  allowed  himself 
to  be  beguiled  into  renewing  his  potations,  until  he  was  quite 
intoxicated.  In  this  condition,  Bacchus  led  him  passive  to 
Olympus,  made  him  release  the  Queen  of  Heaven,  and  urged 
him  to  embrace  his  father  and  crave  forgiveness. 

Although  restored  to  favor,  Vulcan  would  not  remain  per- 
manently in  Olympus,  but  preferred  to  return  to  his  forge  and 
continue  his  labors.  He  undertook,  however,  the  construction 
of  magnificent  golden  palaces  for  each  of  the  gods  upon  the 
Olympian  heights,  fashioned  their  sumptuous  furniture  from  pre- 
cious metals,  and  further  embellished  his  work  by  a  rich  orna- 
mentation of  precious  stones. 

"  Then  to  their  starry  domes  the  gods  depart, 
The  shining  monuments  of  Vulcan's  art: 
Jove  on  his  couch  reclin'd  his  awful  head, 
And  Juno  slumber'd  on  the  golden  bed." 

HOMER  (Pope's  tr.). 

Aided  by  the  Cyclopes,  Vulcan  manufactured  Jupiter's  weap- 
ons, the  dread  thunderbolts,  whose  frightful  power  none  could 
withstand,  and  Cupid's  love-inspiring  darts. 

Vulcan,  in  spite  of  his  deformity,  extreme  ugliness,  and  well- 
known  aversion  to  any  home  but  his  sooty  forge,  was  none  the 
less  prone  to  fall  in  love  with  the  various  god-        Vulcan's 
desses.     He   first   wooed    Minerva,  who,   having          loves- 
sworn  never  to  marry,  contemptuously  dismissed  his  suit.     To 
console  Vulcan  for  this  rebuff,  and  at  the  same  time  punish  the 
Goddess  of  Beauty,  who,  according  to  some  mythologists,  had 
refused  even  his  addresses,  Jupiter  bestowed  upon  him  the  fair 


148  CLASSICAL   MYTHS. 

hand  of  Venus,  and  sent  her  and  her  mischievous  train  of  Loves 
and  Graces  to  reside  in  the  dark  caves  of  Mount  ^Etna. 

Amused  by  all  the  strange  sights  and  sounds,  the  goddess  at 
first  seemed  quite  contented ;  but  after  a  time  Vulcan's  gloomy 
abode  lost  all  its  attractions  :  so  she  forsook  her  ill-favored  hus- 
band, and  went  in  search  of  another,  more  congenial  mate. 

Some  time  after,  Vulcan  married  one  of  the  Graces,  who,  how- 
ever, seems  to  have  also  soon  wearied  of  his  society,  for  she  de- 
serted him. 

Vulcan's  children  were  mostly  monsters,  such  as  Cacus,  Peri- 
phetes,  Cercyon,  etc.,  all  of  whom  play  an  important  part  in 
heroic  mythology.  He  is  also  the  reputed  father  of  Servius 
Tullius,  sixth  king  of  Rome,  by  a  slave  Ocrisia,  whom  he  was 
wont  to  visit  in  the  guise  of  a  bright  flame,  which  played  harm- 
lessly about  her. 

Vulcan  was  worshiped  by  all  blacksmiths  and  artisans,  who 
recognized  him  as  their  special  patron,  and  venerated  him  ac- 
cordingly. 

"  Those  who  labor 

The  sweaty  forge,  who  edge  the  crooked  scythe, 
Bend  stubborn  steel,  and  harden  gleaming  armor, 
Acknowledge  Vulcan's  aid." 

PRIOR. 

Great  festivals,  the  Vulcanalia  and  the  Hephaestia,  were  cele- 
brated in  honor  of  this  god,  who  is  generally  represented  as  a 
short,  muscular  man,  with  one  leg  shorter  than  the  other,  a  work- 
man's cap  on  his  curly  locks,  a  short  upper  garment,  and  a  smith's 
tools  in  his  hand. 


CHAPTER    XI. 

NEPTUNE. 

WHEN  Jupiter  assigned  to  each  of  his  brothers  a  separate  por- 
tion of  the  universe,  he  decreed  that  Neptune,  or  Poseidon, 
should  govern  all  the  waters  upon  the  face  of  the  earth,  and  be 
sole  monarch  of  the  ocean. 

"Neptune,  the  mighty  marine  god,  I  sing; 
Earth's  mover,  and  the  fruitless  ocean's  king. 
That  Helicon  and  th'  ALgean  deeps  dost  hold. 
O  thou  earth-shaker ;  thy  command,  twofold 
The  gods  have  sorted;  making  thee  of  horses 
The  awful  tamer,  and  of  naval  forces 
The  sure  preserver.      Hail,  O  Saturn's  birth ! 
Whose  graceful  green  hair  circles  all  the  earth. 
Bear  a  benign  mind;   and  thy  helpful  hand 
Lend  all,  submitted  to  thy  dread  command." 

HOMER  (Chapman's  tr.). 

Before  this  new  ruler  made  his  appearance,  the  Titan 
Oceanus  had  wielded  the  scepter  of  the  sea ;  and  regretfully  he 
now  resigned  it  to  his  youthful  supplanter,  whom  he  nevertheless 
admired  sincerely,  and  described  in  glowing  colors  to  his  brothers. 

"  Have  ye  beheld  the  young  God  of  the  Seas, 
My  dispossessor ?     Have  ye  seen  his  face? 
Have  ye  beheld  his  chariot,  foam'd  along 
By  noble  winged  creatures  he  hath  made? 
I  saw  him  on  the  calmed  waters  scud, 
With  such  a  glow  of  beauty  in  his  eyes, 
That  it  enforc'd  me  to  bid  sad  farewell 

To  all  my  empire." 

KEATS. 

10  149 


FOUNTAIN  OF  NEPTUNE.— Bologna. 
( Bologna.) 


NEPTUNE.  151 

Neptune,  the  personification  as  well  as  the  god  of  the  sea,  was 
of  an  exceedingly  encroaching  disposition.     Dissatisfied  with  the 
portion  allotted  him,  he  once  conspired  to  dethrone       Neptune's 
Jupiter;   but,  unfortunately  for  the  success  of  his          exile, 
undertaking,  his  plot  was  discovered  before  he  could  put  it  into 
execution,  and  Jupiter,  in  punishment  for  his  temerity,  exiled  him 
to  earth.     There  he  was  condemned  to  build  the  walls  of  Troy 
for  Laomedon,   king  of  that  city,  who,   in  return,  promised  a 
handsome  compensation. 

Apollo,  also  banished  from  heaven  at  that  time,  volunteered 
to  aid  Neptune  by  playing  on  his  lyre,  and  moving  the  stones  by 
the  power  of  sweet  sounds  (p.  65).  The  task  satisfactorily  ended, 
Laomedon,  an  avaricious  and  dishonest  king,  refused  the  prom- 
ised guerdon,  whereupon  Neptune  created  a  terrible  monster, 
which  came  upon  the  shore,  devoured  the  inhabitants,  devastated 
everything  within  his  reach,  and  inspired  all  with  great  terror. 

"  A  great  serpent  from  the  deep, 
Lifting  his  horrible  head  above  their  homes, 
Devoured  the  children." 

LEWIS  MORRIS. 

To  save  themselves  from  the  awful  death  which  threatened 
them  all,  the  Trojans  consulted  an  oracle,  who  advised  the  sacri- 
fice of  a  beautiful  virgin,  and  promised  the  monster  would  disap- 
pear as  soon  as  he  had  devoured  the  appointed  victim. 

A  young  girl  was  therefore  chosen  by  lot,  led  down  to  the 
seashore,  and  chained  by  the  priest's  own  hands  to  a  slimy  rock. 
As  soon  as  her  mourning  friends  had  forsaken  her,        story  of 
the  hideous  serpent  came  out  of  his  lair  in  the        Hesione. 
waves,  and  devoured  her;  then  he  vanished,  and  nothing  more 
was  heard  of  him  for  a  whole  year,  at  the  end  of  which  time  he 
reappeared,  and  resumed   his  former  depredations,  which  were 
only  checked  by  the  sacrifice  of  a  second  virgin. 

Year  after  year,  however,  he  returned,  and  year  after  year  a 
fair  girl  was  doomed  to  perish,  until  finally  the  lot  fell  upon 


152  CLASSICAL  MYTHS. 

Hesione,  the  king's  only  daughter.  He  could  not  bear  the 
thought  of  the  terrible  fate  awaiting  her,  and  tried  every  means 
in  his  power  to  save  her.  As  a  last  resort  he  sent  heralds  to 
publish  far  and  wide  that  the  king  would  give  a  great  reward 
to  any  man  who  would  dare  attack  and  succeed  in  slaying  the 
monster. 

Hercules,  on  his  return  from  the  scene  of  one  of  his  stupen- 
dous labors,  heard  the  proclamation,  and,  with  no  other  weapon 
than  the  oaken  club  he  generally  carried,  slew  the  monster  just 
as  he  was  about  to  drag  poor  Hesione  down  into  his  slimy  cave. 
Laomedon  was,  of  course,  overjoyed  at  the  monster's  death,  but, 
true  to  his  nature,  again  refused  the  promised  reward,  and  by 
his  dishonesty  incurred  the  hatred  and  contempt  of  this  hero 
also.  Some  time  after,  having  finished  his  time  of  servitude 
with  Eurystheus,  Hercules,  aided  by  a  chosen  band  of  adven- 
turers, came  to  Troy  to  punish  him  for  his  perfidy.  The  city 
was  stormed  and  taken,  the  king  slain,  and  his  wife  and  children 
carried  to  Greece  as  captives.  There  Hesione  became  the  bride 
of  Telamon ;  while  her  brother  Podarces,  later  known  as  Priam, 
was  redeemed  by  his  people  and  made  King  of  Troy. 

Laomedon's  failure  to  pay  his  just  debts  was  the  primary 
cause  of  the  enmity  which  Apollo  and  Neptune  displayed  towards 
the  Trojans  during  their  famous  war  Avith  the  Greeks  (p.  305). 

Their  term  of  exile  ended,  the  gods  were  reinstated  in  their 
exalted  positions,  and  hastened  to  resume  their  former  occupa- 
Neptune's  tions ;  but,  in  spite  of  the  severe  lesson  just  re- 
contests,  ceived,  Neptune  was  not  yet  cured  of  his  grasping 
tendencies.  Not  long  after  his  return  from  Troy,  he  quarreled 
with  Minerva  for  the  possession  of  the  then  recently  founded 
city  of  Athens,  then  nameless,  and  entered  into  the  memorable 
contest  in  which  he  was  signally  defeated  (p.  57).  He  also 
disputed  the  sovereignty  of  Troszene  with  Minerva,  and  that  of 
Corinth  with  Apollo.  In  the  latter  instance,  the  disputants 
having  chosen  Briareus  as  umpire,  the  prize  was  awarded  to  him 
as  the  most  powerful  of  all  the  gods  except  Jupiter. 


NEPTUNE.  I 53 

As  god  of  the  sea,  Neptune  did   not   generally  remain   in 
Olympus,  but  dwelt  way  down  in  the  coral  caves  of  his  king- 
dom, over  which  he  ruled  with  resistless  sway.    By       Neptune's 
one  word  he    could    stir   up  or  calm  the  wildest         power, 
storm,  and  cause  the  billows  to  roar  with  fury  or  subside  into 
peaceful  ripples. 

"  He  spake,  and  round  about  him  called  the  clouds 
And  roused  the  ocean,  —  wielding  in  his  hand 
The  trident,  —  summoned  all  the  hurricanes 
Of  all  the  winds,  and  covered  earth  and  sky 
At  once  with  mists,  while  from  above  the  night 
Fell  suddenly." 

HOMER  (Bryant's  tr.). 

The  -rivers,  fountains,  lakes,  and  seas  were  not  only  subject  to 
his  rule,  but  he  could  also  cause  terrible  earthquakes  at  will,  and, 
when  he  pleased,  raise  islands  from  the  deep,  as  he  did  when  La- 
tona  entreated  him  to  shelter  her  from  Juno's  persecutions  (p.  62). 

Neptune  is  said  to  have  loved  the  goddess  Ceres,  and  to  have 
followed  her  during  her  prolonged  search  for  her  daughter,  Pro- 
serpina. Annoyed  by  his  persistent  wooing,  the  goddess,  to  escape 
him,  assumed  the  form  of  a  mare ;  but  the  God  of  the  Sea,  not  at 
all  deceived  by  this  stratagem,  straightway  assumed  the  form  of 
a  horse,  in  which  guise  he  contentedly  trotted  after  her  and  re- 
newed his  attentions. 

The   offspring   of    this   equine   pair  was  Arion,   a  wonderful 
winged  steed,  gifted  with  the  power  of  speech,  whose  early  edu- 
cation was  intrusted  to  the  Nereides.     They  trained       Neptune's 
him  to  draw  his  father's  chariot  over  the  waves  with          wives, 
incredible  rapidity,  and  parted  with  him  regretfully  when  he  was 
given  to  Copreus,  Pelops'  son.       This  marvelous  horse  passed 
successively  into  Hercules'  and  Adrastus'  hands ;   and  the  latter 
won  all  the  chariot  races,  thanks  to  his  fleetness. 

On  another  occasion,  Neptune,  having  fallen  deeply  in  love 
with  a  maiden  named  Theophane,  and  fearful  lest  some  one  of 
her  numerous  suitors  should  find  favor  in  her  eyes  before  he  had 


154  CLASSICAL   MYTHS. 

time  to  urge  his  wooing,  suddenly  changed  her  into  a  sheep,  and 
conveyed  her  to  the  Island  of  Crumissa,  where  he  assumed  the 
guise  of  a  ram,  and,  in  this  metamorphosed  condition,  carried 
on  his  courtship,  which  eventually  proved  successful.  The  off- 
spring of  this  union  was  the  golden-fleeced  ram  which  bore 
Phryxus  in  safety  to  the  Colchian  shores,  and  whose  pelt  was  the 
goal  of  the  Argonautic  expedition  (p.  265). 

Neptune  also  loved  and  married  Medusa  in  the  days  of  her 
youth  and  beauty,  and  when  some  drops  of  blood  fell  from  her 
severed  head  into  the  salt  sea  foam,  he  produced  from  them  the 
graceful  winged  steed  Pegasus  (p.  244). 

Neptune  is  also  said  to  be  the  father  of  the  giants  Otus  and 
Ephialtes,  of  Neleus,  Pelias,  and  Polyphemus. 

The  Queen  of  the  Ocean,  Neptune's  own  true  and  lawful  wife, 

was  a  Nereid,  one  of  the  fifty  daughters  of  Doris  and  Nereus, — 

the  personification  of  the  calm  and  sunlit  aspect  of 

Amphitrite.  .  . 

the  sea.  Her  name  was  Amphitrite,  or  Salacia. 
At  first  she  was  in  great  awe  of  her  distinguished  suitor,  and 
in  her  fear  fled  at  his  approach,  leaving  him  no  chance  to  ad- 
mire any  of  her  charms,  except  the  grace  and  celerity  with  which 
she  managed  to  flit,  or  rather  glide,  out  of  his  sight. 

"  Along  the  deep 
With  beauteous  ankles,  Amphitrite  glides." 

HESIOD  (Elton's  tr.). 

This  conduct  grieved  Neptune  so  sorely,  that  he  sent  a  dol- 
phin to  plead  his  cause,  and  persuade  the  fair  nymph  to  share 
his  throne.  The  messenger,  carefully  instructed  beforehand, 
carried  out  the  directions  with  such  skill,  that  Amphitrite  formally 
consented  to  become  Neptune's  wife. 

The  King  of  the  Deep  was  so  overjoyed  at  these  good  tidings, 
that  he  transferred  the  dolphin  to  the  sky,  where  he  forms  a 
well-known  constellation.  Neptune  and  Amphitrite  in  due  time 
became  the  happy  parents  of  several  children,  among  whom  the 
most  celebrated  is  Triton,  whose  body  was  half  man  and  half 
fish,  and  who  gave  his  name  to  all  his  male  descendants. 


NEPTUNE.  155 

Like  all  other  gods,  Neptune  took  a  lively  interest  in  men's 
affairs,  and  sometimes  interfered  in  their  behalf.  On  one  occasion, 
for  instance,  he  even  lent  his  beautiful  chariot  to  a  story  of  Idas 
youth  by  the  name  of  Idas,  who,  loving  a  maiden  and  MarPessa- 
dearly,  and  unable  to  win  her  father's  consent  to  their  union,  had 
resolved  to  kidnap  her.  Marpessa,  for  such  was  the  lady's  name, 
allowed  herself  to  be  carried  off  without  protest ;  and  the  lovers 
were  blissfully  speeding  along  in  Neptune's  chariot,  when  her 
father,  Evenus,  perceiving  their  escape,  started  in  pursuit  of  them. 
In  spite  of  the  most  strenuous  efforts,  he  could  not  overtake  the 
fleeing  pair,  and  in  his  anger  plunged  into  a  river,  where  he  was 
drowned,  and  which  from  him  received  the  name  of  Evenus. 

Idas  and  Marpessa  were  just  congratulating  themselves  upon 
their  narrow  escape,  when  suddenly  Apollo  appeared  before 
them,  and,  checking  their  steeds,  declared  he  loved  the  maiden 
too,  and  would  not  tamely  yield  her  up  to  a  rival. 

This  was  quite  equivalent  to  a  challenge ;  and  Idas,  stepping 
down  from  the  chariot,  was  about  to  engage  in  the  fight,  when 
suddenly  out  of  a  clear  sky  a  thunderbolt  came  crashing  down 
to  earth,  and  an  imperious  voice  was  heard  to  declare  that  the 
quarrel  could  be  settled  by  Marpessa  only,  and  that  she  should 
freely  choose  the  suitor  she  preferred  as  husband. 

The  maiden  glanced  at  both  her  lovers,  and  quickly  reviewed 
their  respective  attractions.  Remembering  that  Apollo,  being 
immortal,  would  retain  all  his  youthful  bloom  when  her  more 
ephemeral  beauty  had  vanished,  and  that  he  would  then  probably 
cease  to  love  her,  she  held  out  her  hand  to  Idas,  declaring  she 
preferred  to  link  her  fate  to  that  of  a  mortal,  who  would  grow 
old  when  she  did,  and  love  her  as  long  as  they  both  lived.  This 
choice  was  approved  by  Jupiter;  and  the  lovers,  after  reach- 
ing a  place  of  safety,  returned  the  wondrous  chariot  to  Nep- 
tune, with  many  grateful  thanks  for  his  timely  aid.  Neptune's 

All  the  Nereides,  Tritons,  and  lesser  sea  divini-      attendants, 
ties  formed  a  part  of  Neptune  and  Amphitrite's  train,  and  fol- 
lowed closely  when  they  rode  forth  to  survey  their   kingdom. 


156  CLASSICAL  MYTHS. 

Neptune  had,  besides  this,  many  subordinates,  whose  duty  it 
was  to  look  after  various  seas,  lakes,  rivers,  fountains,  etc.,  con- 
fided to  their  special  care.  In  harmony  with  their  occupations, 
these  divinities  were  either  hoary  river  gods  (such  as  Father 
Nile),  slender  youths,  beautiful  maidens,  or  little  babbling  chil- 
dren. They  seldom  left  the  cool  waves  of  their  appointed  dwell- 
ings, and  strove  to  win  Neptune's  approbation  mostly  by  the 
zeal  they  showed  in  the  discharge  of  their  various  duties. 

Proteus,  too,  another  inferior  deity,  had  the  care  of  the  flocks 
of  the  deep,  and  he  always  attended  Neptune  when  it  was  safe  to 
leave  his  great  herds  of  sea  calves  to  bask  on  the  sunny  shores. 

"  In  ages  past  old  Proteus,  with  his  droves 
Of  sea  calves,  sought  the  mountains  and  the  groves." 

COWPER. 

.    In  common  with  all  the  other  gods,  Proteus  enjoyed  the  gift 

of  prophecy,  and  had  the  power  to  assume  any  shape  he  pleased. 

The  former  gift  he  was  wont  to  exercise  very  re- 

Proteus. 

luctantly  ;  and  when  mortals  wished  to  consult  him, 
he  would  change  his  form  with  bewildering  rapidity,  and,  unless 
they  clung  to  him  through  all  his  changes,  they  could  obtain  no 
answer  to  their  questions. 

"  Shouting  [we]  seize  the  god  :  our  force  t'  evade, 
His  various  arts  he  soon  resumes  in  aid  : 
A  lion  now,  he  curls  a  surgy  mane ; 
Sudden,  our  hands  a  spotted  pard  restrain ; 
Then,  arm'd  with  tusks,  and  lightning  in  his  eyes, 
A  boar's  obscener  shape  the  god  belies : 
On  spiry  volumes,  there,  a  dragon  rides; 
Here,  from  our  strict  embrace  a  stream  he  glides ; 
And  last,  sublime,  his  stately  growth  he  rears, 
A  tree,  and  well-dissembled  foliage  wears." 

HOMER  (Pope's  tr.). 

But  if  these  manifestations  proved  unavailing  to  drive  his 
would-be  hearers  away,  the  god  answered  every  question  cir- 
cumstantially. 


158  CLASSICAL   MYTHS. 

Amphitrite,  Neptune's  wife,  —  generally  represented  as  a  beau- 
tiful nude  nymph,  crowned  with  seaweed,  and  reclining  in  a 
pearl-shell  chariot  drawn  by  dolphins,  or  sea-horses, — was  wor- 
shiped with  her  husband. 

Neptune,  majestic  and  middle-aged,  with  long,  flowing  hair 
and  beard,  wearing  a  seaweed  crown,  and  brandishing  a  trident,  or 
Worship  of      three-pronged  fork,  was  widely  worshiped  through- 
Neptune.       out  Greece  and  Italy,  and  had  countless  shrines. 
His  principal  votaries  were  the  seamen  and  horse  trainers,  who 
often  bespoke  his  aid. 

"Hail,  Neptune,  greatest  of  the  gods! 
Thou  ruler  of  the  salt  sea  floods ; 
Thou  with  the  deep  and  dark-green  hair, 
That  dost  the  golden  trident  bear ; 
Thou  that,  with  either  arm  outspread, 
Embosomest  the  earth  we  tread  : 
Thine  are  the  beasts  with  fin  and  scales, 
That  round  thy  chariot,  as  it  sails, 
Plunging  and  tumbling,  fast  and  free, 
All  reckless  follow  o'er  the  sea." 

ARION. 

Many  large  temples  were  dedicated  exclusively  to  the  worship 
of  Neptune,  and  games  were  frequently  celebrated  in  his  honor. 
The  most  noted  of  all  were  undoubtedly  the  Isthmian  Games, — 
a  national  festival,  held  every  four  years  at  Corinth,  on  the  isth- 
mus of  the  same  name.  Hither  people  came  from  all  points  of 
the  compass,  and  all  parts  of  the  then  known  world,  either  to  wit- 
ness or  to  take  part  in  the  noted  wrestling,  boxing,  and  racing 
matches,  or  in  the  musical  and  poetical  contests. 


CHAPTER    XII. 

PLUTO. 

PLUTO  (Dis,  Hades,  Plutus,  A'idoneus),  son  of  Cronus  and 
Rhea,  received  'as  his  share  of  the  world  the  supervision  of  the 
Infernal  Regions,  situated  beneath  the  earth,  and  was  also  ap- 
pointed god  of  the  dead  and  of  riches,  for  all  precious  metals 
are  buried  deep  in  the  bosom  of  the  earth. 

"Blinded  Plutus,  didst  thou  dwell 
Nor  in  land  nor  fathomed  sea, 
But  only  in  the  depths  of  hell, — 
God  of  riches  !  safe  from  thee 
Man  himself  might  happy  be." 

TlMOCREON    OF   RHODES. 

This  god  inspired  all  men  with  a  great  fear.  They  never  spoke 
of  him  without  trembling,  and  fervently  prayed  that  they  might 
never  see  his  face ;  for,  when  he  appeared  on  the  surface  of  the 
earth,  it  was  only  in  search  of  some  victim  to  drag  down  into  his 
dismal  abode,  or  to  make  sure  there  was  no  crevice  through 
which  a  sunbeam  might  glide  to  brighten  its  gloom  and  dispel  its 
shadows.  Whenever  the  stern  god  set  out  on  one  of  these  ex- 
peditions, he  rode  in  a  chariot  drawn  by  four  coal-black  steeds ; 
and,  if  any  obstacle  presented  itself  to  impede  his  progress,  he 
struck  it  with  his  two-pronged  fork,  the  emblem  of  his  power, 
and  the  obstacle  was  immediately  removed.  It  was  on  one  of 
these  occasions  that  Pluto  kidnapped  Proserpina,  the  fair  goddess 
of  vegetation,  daughter  of  Ceres,  whom  he  set  on  his  throne  in 
Hades,  and  crowned  his  queen  (p.  183). 


160  CLASSICAL  MYTHS. 

Pluto  is  always  represented  as  a  stern,  dark,  bearded  man,  with 
tightly  closed  lips,  a  crown  on  his  head,  a  scepter  and  a  key  in 
Worship  of      hand,  to  show  how  carefully  he  guards  those  who 
Pluto.          enter  his  domains,  and  how  vain  are  their  hopes  to 
effect  their  escape.      No  temples  were  dedicated  to  him,   and 
statues  of  this  god  are  very  rare.     Human  sacrifices  were  some- 
times offered  on  his  altars ;   and  at  his  festivals,  held  every  hun- 
dred years,  and  thence  called  Secular  Games,  none  but  black 
animals  were  slain. 

His  kingdom,   generally  called  Hades,  was  very  difficult  of 

access.    According  to  Roman  traditions,  it  could  only  be  entered 

at  Avenius,  but  the  Greeks  asserted  that  there  was 

Hades. 

another  entrance  near  the  Promontory  of  Taena- 
rum.  Both  nations  agreed,  however,  in  saying  that  it  was  an 
almost  impossible  feat  to  get  out  again  if  one  were  rash  enough 
to  venture  in. 

"To  the  shades  you  go  a  down-hill,  easy  way; 
But  to  return  and  re-enjoy  the  day, 
This  is  a  work,  a  labor  !  " 

VIRGIL. 

To  prevent  all  mortals  from  entering,  and  all  spirits  from 
escaping,  Pluto  placed  a  huge  three-headed  dog,  called  Cerberus, 
to  guard  the  gate. 

"  There  in  state  old  Cerberus  sate, 
A  three-headed  dog,  as  cruel  as  Fate, 
Guarding  the  entrance  early  and  late." 

SAXE. 

From  thence  a  long  subterranean  passage,  through  which 
shadowy  spirits  glided  incessantly,  led  to  the  throne  room,  where 
Pluto  and  Proserpina  sat  in  state,  clad  in  their  sable  robes. 
From  the  foot  of  this  throne  flowed  the  rivers  which  channeled 
the  Lower  World.  One,  the  Cocytus,  rolled  salt  waves,  composed 
of  naught  but  the  tears  flowing  continually  from  the  eyes  of  the 


PLCTO.  161 

criminals  condemned  to  hard  labor  in  Tartarus,  the  portion  of 
Hades  reserved  for  the  exclusive  use  of  the  wicked. 

"Cocytus,  named  of  lamentation  loud 
Heard  on  the  rueful  stream." 

HOMER. 

To  separate  this  section  from  the  remainder  of  his  realm,  Pluto 
suiTounded  it  with  the  Phlegethon,  a  river  of  fire ;  while  the 
Acheron,  a  black  and  deep  stream,  was  to  be  passed  Rivers  of 
by  all  souls  ere  they  reached  Pluto's  throne  and  Hades, 
heard  his  decree.  The  current  of  this  river  was  so  swift,  that 
even  the  boldest  swimmer  could  not  pass  over ;  and,  as  there 
was  no  bridge,  all  the  spirits  were  obliged  to  rely  upon  the  aid  of 
Charon,  an  aged  boatman,  who  plied  the  only  available  skiff  — 
a  leaky,  worm-eaten  punt  —  from  shore  to  shore.  Neither  would 
he  allow  any  soul  to  enter  his  bark,  unless  he  was  first  given  a 
small  coin,  called  the  obolus,  the  ferryman's  fare,  which  the  an- 
cients carefully  laid  under  the  tongue  of  the  dead,  that  they 
might  pass  on  to  Pluto  without  delay.  Charon's  leaky  boat  no 
sooner  touched  the  shore  than  a  host  of  eager  spirits  pressed  for- 
ward to  claim  a  place.  The  cruel  boatman  repulsed  them  roughly, 
and  brandished  his  oars,  while  he  leisurely  selected  those  he 
would  next  ferry  across  the  stream. 

"  The  shiv'ring  army  stands, 
And  press  for  passage  with  extended  hands. 
Now  these,  now  those,  the  surly  boatman  bore ; 
The  rest  he  drove  to  distance  from  the  shore." 

VIRGIL  (Dryden's  tr.). 

All  those  who  could  not  produce  the  required  obolus  were 
obliged  to  wait  one  hundred  years,  at  the  end  of  which  time 
Charon  reluctantly  ferried  them  over  free  of  charge. 

There  was  also  in  Hades  the  sacred  river  Styx,  by  whose 
waters  the  gods  swore  their  most  irrevocable  oaths ;  and  the 
blessed  Lethe,  whose  waters  had  the  power  to  make  one  forget  all 
unpleasant  things,  thus  preparing  the  good  for  a  state  of  endless 
bliss  in  the  Elysian  Fields. 


(i62) 


PLUTO.  163 

"Lethe,  the  river  of  oblivion,  rolls 

Her  wat'ry  labrinth,  whereof  who  drinks, 
Forthwith  his  former  state  and  being  forgets, 
Forgets  both  joy  and  grief,  pleasure  and  pain." 

MILTON. 

Near  Pluto's  throne  were  seated  the  three  judges  of  Hades, 
Minos,  Rhadamanthus,  and  ^Eacus,  whose  duty  it  was  to  question 
all  newly  arrived  souls,  to  sort  out  the  confused 

,  .  ,        The  judges. 

mass  of  .good  and  bad  thoughts  and  actions,  and 
place  them  in  the  scales  of  Themis,  the  blindfolded,  impartial  god- 
dess of  justice,  who  bore  a  trenchant  sword  to  indicate  that  her 
decrees  would  be  mercilessly  enforced.  If  the  good  outweighed 
the  evil,  the  spirit  was  led  to  the  Elysian  Fields ;  but  if,  on  the 
contrary,  the  evil  prevailed,  the  spirit  was  condemned  to  suffer  in 
the  fires  of  Tartarus. 

"  Where  his  decrees 

The  guilty  soul  within  the  burning  gates 
Of  Tartarus  compel,  or  send  the  good 
To  inhabit,  with  eternal  health  and  peace, 

The  valley  of  Elysium." 

AKENSIDE. 

The  guilty  souls  were  always  intrusted  to  the  three  snake-locked 
Furies  (Erinnyes,  or  Eumenides),  who  drove  them  with  their  sting- 
ing lashes  to  the  gates  of  Tartarus.  These  deities, 

The  Furies. 

who  were  sisters,  and  children  of  Acheron  and 
Nyx,  were  distinguished  by  the  individual  names  of  Alecto,  Tisiph- 
one,  and  Megaera,  and  with  Nemesis,  goddess  of  revenge,  were 
noted  for  their  hard  hearts  and  the  merciless  manner  in  which 
they  hurried  the  ghosts  intrusted  to  their  care  over  the  fiery 
flood  of  the  Phlegethon,  and  through  the  brazen  gates  of  their 
future  place  of  incessant  torment. 

"  There  rolls  swift  Phlegethon,  with  thund'ring  sound, 
His  broken  rocks,  and  whirls  his  surges  round. 
On  mighty  columns  rais'd  sublime  are  hung 
The  massy  gates,  impenetrably  strong. 


(i64) 


THE  THREE  FATES.— Thumann. 


PLUTO.  165 

In  vain  would  men,  in  vain  would  gods  essay, 
To  hew  the  beams  of  adamant  away. 
Here  rose  an  iron  tow'r:  before  the  gate, 
By  night  and  day,  a  wakeful  Fury  sate, 
The  pale  Tisiphone  ;  a  robe  she  wore, 
With  all  the  pomp  of  horror,  dy'd  in  gore." 

VIRGIL  (C.  Pitt's  tr.). 

The  three  Fates  (Moerae,  Parcse),  sisters,  also  sat  near  Pluto's 
throne.     Clotho,  the  youngest,  spun  the  thread  of 
life,  in  which  the  bright  and  dark  lines  were  inter- 
mingled.   Lachesis,  the  second,  twisted  it ;  and  under  her  fingers 
it  was  now  strong,  now  weak. 

"  Twist  ye,  twine  ye  !  even  so, 
Mingle  shades  of  joy  and  woe, 
Hope,  and  fear,  and  peace,  and  strife, 

In  the  thread  of  human  life." 

SCOTT. 

Atropos,  the  third  sister,  armed  with  a  huge  pair  of  shears,  re- 
morselessly cut  short  the  thread  of  life,  —  an  intimation  that  an- 
other soul  would  ere  long  find  its  way  down  into  the  dark  king- 
dom of  Hades. 

When  the  gates  of  Tartarus  turned  on  their  hinges  to  receive 
the  newcomer,  a  chorus  of  cries,  groans,  and  impre- 

.......  .  ......  Tartarus. 

cations  from  within  fell  upon  his  ear,  mingled  with 

the  whistling  of  the  whips  incessantly  plied  by  retributive  deities. 

"  What  sounds  were  heard, 
What  scenes  appeared, 
O'er  all  the  dreary  coasts ! 

Dreadful  gleams, 

Dismal  screams, 

Fires  that  glow, 

Shrieks  of  woe, 

Sullen  moans, 

Hollow  groans, 
And  cries  of  tortured  ghosts." 

ADDISON. 

II 


1 66  CLASSICAL  MYTHS. 

Many   victims   renowned   while    on    earth    for   their   cruelty 

found  here  the  just  punishment  of  their  sins.     Attention  was  first 

attracted  by  a  group  of  beautiful  maidens,  who 

The  Danaides. 

carried  water  to  fill  a  bottomless  cask.  Down  to 
the  stream  they  hastened,  a  long  procession,  filled  their  urns  with 
water,  painfully  clambered  up  the  steep  and  slippery  bank,  and 
poured  their  water  into  the  cask ;  but  when,  exhausted  and  ready 
to  faint  from  fatigue,  they  paused  to  rest  for  a  moment,  the  cut- 
ting lash  fell  upon  their  bare  shoulders,  and  spurred  them  on  to 
renewed  efforts  to  complete  a  task  so  hopeless  that  it  has  become 
proverbial. 

These  fair  maidens  were  the  Danaides,  daughters  of  Danaus, 
who  had  pledged  his  fifty  daughters  to  the  fifty  sons  of  his 
brother  ^Egyptus.  The  marriage  preparations  were  all  completed, 
when  Danaus  suddenly  remembered  an  ancient  prophecy  which 
had  quite  escaped  his  memory,  and  which  foretold  that  he  would 
perish  by  the  hand  of  his  son-in-law. 

It  was  now  too  late  to  prevent  the  marriages,  so,  calling  his 
daughters  aside,  he  told  them  what  the  oracle  had  said,  and,  giv- 
ing them  each  a  sharp  dagger,  bade  them  slay  their  husbands  on 
their  wedding  night.  The  marriages  were  celebrated,  as  was  cus- 
tomary, with  mirth,  dance,  and  song ;  and  the  revelry  continued 
until  late  at  night,  when,  the  guests  having  departed,  the  newly 
married  couples  retired.  But  as  soon  as  Danaus'  daughters  were 
quite  certain  their  husbands  were  fast  asleep,  they  produced  their 
daggers  and  slew  their  mates. 

"Danaus  arm'd  each  daughter's  hand 
To  stain  with  blood  the  bridal  bed." 

EURIPIDES  (Potter's  tr.). 

One  of  the  brides  only,  Hypermnestra,  loved  her  husband  too 
dearly  to  obey  her  father's  command,  and,  when  morning  broke, 
only  forty-nine  of  ^Egyptus'  sons  were  found  lifeless.  The  sole 
survivor,  Lynceus,  to  avenge  his  brothers'  death,  slew  Danaus, 
thus  fulfilling  the  ominous  prophecy ;  while  the  gods,  incensed 


PLUTO.  167 

by  the  Danaides'  heartlessness,  sent  them  to  Hades,  where  they 
were  compelled  to  fill  the  bottomless  cask. 

Tartafus  also  detained  within  its  brazen  portals  a  cruel  king 
named  Tantalus  (the  father  of  Niobe),  who,  while  on  earth,  had 
starved  and  ill-treated  his  subjects,  insulted  the 

Tantalus. 

immortal  gods,  and  on  one  occasion  had  even 
dared  to  cook  and  serve  up  to  them  his  own  son  Pelops.  Most 
of  the  gods  were  immediately  aware  of  the  deception  practiced 
upon  them,  and  refused  the  new  dish ;  but  Ceres,  who  was  very 
melancholy  on  account  of  the  recent  loss  of  her  daughter,  paid 
no  heed  to  what  was  offered  her,  and  in  a  fit  of  absent-minded- 
ness ate  part  of  the  lad's  shoulder. 

The  gods  in  pity  restored  the  youth  to  life,  and  Ceres  re- 
placed the  missing  shoulder  with  one  of  ivory  or  of  gold.  Driven 
away  from  his  kingdom,  which  was  seized  by  the  King  of  Troy, 
Pelops  took  refuge  in  Greece,  where  he  ruled  the  extensive 
peninsula,  the  Peloponnesus,  which  still  bears  his  name. 

To  punish  the  inhuman  Tantalus,  the  gods  then  sent  him  to 
Tartarus,  where  he  stood  up  to  his  chin  in  a  stream  of  pure 
water,  tormented  with  thirst ;  for,  whenever  he  stooped  to  drink, 
the  waters  fled  from  his  parched  lips.  Over  his  head  hung  a 
branch  of  luscious  fruit.  His  hunger  was  as  intolerable  as  his 
thirst ;  but,  whenever  he  clutched  at  the  fruit,  the  branch  swung 
upward,  and  eluded  his  eager  grasp. 

"  Above,  beneath,  around  his  hapless  head, 
Trees  of  all  kinds  delicious  fruitage  spread. 
The  fruit  he  strives  to  sejze ;  but  blasts  arise, 
Toss  it  on  high,  and  whirl  it  to  the  skies." 

HOMER  (Pope's  tr.). 

This  singular  punishment  inflicted  upon  Tantalus  gave  rise  to 
the  expression  "  to  tantalize." 

Another  criminal  was  Sisyphus,  who,  while  king  of  Corinth, 
had  misused  his  power,  had  robbed  and  killed  trav- 

Sisyphus. 

elers,  and  even  deceived  the  gods.     His  reprehen- 
sible conduct  was  punished  in  Tartarus,  where  he  was  condemned 


1 68  CLASSICAL  MYTHS. 

to  roll  a  huge  stone  to  the  top  of  a  very  steep  hill ;  and  just  as 
he  reached  the  summit,  and  fancied  his  task  done,  the  rock  would 
slip  from  his  grasp  and  roll  to  the  foot  of  the  hill,  thus  obliging 
him  to  renew  all  his  exertions. 

"  With  many  a  weary  step,  and  many  a  groan, 
Up  the  high  hill  he  heaves  a  huge  round  stone ; 
The  huge  round  stone,  resulting  with  a  bound, 
Thunders  impetuous  down,  and  smokes  along  the  ground. 
Again  the  restless  orb  his  toil  renews, 
Dust  mounts  in  clouds,  and  sweat  descends  in  dews." 

HOMER  (Pope's  tr.). 

Salmoneus,  another  king,  had  vainly  tried  to  make  his  subjects 

believe  he  was  Jupiter.     To  that  effect,  he  had  once  driven  over 

a  brazen  bridge  to  imitate  the  roll  of  thunder,  and, 

Salmoneus.  . 

to  simulate  the  thunderbolts,  had  thrown  lighted 
torches  down  upon  the  multitude,  purposely  assembled  below. 

"Th'  audacious  wretch  four  fiery  coursers  drew: 
He  wav'd  a  torch  aloft,  and,  madly  vain, 
Sought  godlike  worship  from  a  servile  train. 
Ambitious  fool,  with  horny  hoofs  to  pass 
O'er  hollow  arches  of  resounding  brass, 
To  rival  thunder  in  its  rapid  course, 
And  imitate  inimitable  force  !  " 

VIRGIL  (Dryden's  tr.). 

This  insolent  parody  so  incensed  Jupiter,  that  he  grasped  one 
of  his  deadliest  thunderbolts,  brandished  it  aloft  for  a  moment, 
and  then  hurled  it  with  vindictive  force  at  the  arrogant  king.  In 
Tartarus,  Salmoneus  was  placed  beneath  an  overhanging  rock, 
which  momentarily  threatened  to  fall,  and  crush  him  under  its 

mass. 

"  He  was  doomed  to  sit  under  a  huge  stone, 
Which  the  father  of  the  gods 
Kept  over  his  head  suspended. 
Thus  he  sat 

In  continual  dread  of  its  downfall, 
And  lost  to  every  comfort." 

PINDAR. 


PLUTO.  169 

Still  farther  on  was  the  recumbent  form  of  Tityus,  a  giant  whose 
body  covered    nine  acres  of   ground.      He   had 
dared  offer  an  insult  to  Juno,  and  in  punishment 
was  chained  like  Prometheus,  while  a  vulture  feasted  on  his  liver. 

"  There  Tityus  was  to  see,  who  took  his  birth 
From  heav'n,  his  nursing  from  the  foodful  earth: 
Here  his  gigantic  limbs,  with  large  embrace, 
Infold  nine  acres  of  infernal  space. 
A  rav'nous  vulture  in  his  open  side 
Her  crooked  beak  and  cruel  talons  try'd : 
Still  for  the  growing  liver  digg'd  his  breast, 
The  growing  liver  still  supply'd  the  feast." 

VIRGIL  (Dryden's  tr.). 

Here  in  Tartarus,  too,  was  Ixion,  king  of  the  Lapithae,  who 
had  been  given  the  hand  of  Dia  in  marriage  on  condition  that  he 
would  give  her  father  a  stipulated  sum  of  money 
in  exchange,  but  who,  as  soon  as  the  maiden  was 
his,  refused  to  keep  his  promise.      The  father-in-law  was  an  ava- 
ricious man,  and  clamored  so  loudly  for  his  money,  that  Ixion,  to 
be  rid  of  his  importunities,  slew  him.     Such  an  act  of  violence 
could  not  be  overlooked  by  the  gods :  so  Jupiter  summoned  Ixion 
to  appear  before  him  and  state  his  case. 

Ixion  pleaded  so  skillfully,  that  Jupiter  was  about  to  declare 
him  acquitted,  when  he  suddenly  caught  him  making  love  to 
Juno,  which  offense  seemed  so  unpardonable,  that  he  sent  him 
to  Tartarus,  where  he  was  bound  to  a  constantly  revolving  wheel 
of  fire. 

"Proud  Ixion  (doom'd  to  feel 
The  tortures  of  the  eternal  wheel, 
Bound  by  the  hand  of  angry  Jove) 
Received  the  due  rewards  of  impious  love." 

SOPHOCLES  (Francklin's  tr.). 

Far  out  of  sight  and  hearing  of  the  pitiful  sounds  which  so 
constantly  rose  out  of  Tartarus,  were  the  Elysian  Fields,  lighted 


170  CLASSICAL   MYTHS. 

by  a  sun  and  moon  of  their  own,  decked  with  the  most  fragrant 
and  beautiful  of  flowers,  and  provided  with  every  charm  that 
EI  •  F-  id  nature  or  art  could  supply.  No  storms  or  wintry 
winds  ever  came  to  rob  these  fields  of  their  spring- 
like beauty  ;  and  here  the  blessed  spent  eternity,  in  pleasant  com- 
munion with  the  friends  they  had  loved  on  earth. 

"  Patriots  who  perished  for  their  country's  rights, 
Or  nobly  triumphed  in  the  fields  of  fight : 
There  holy  priests  and  sacred  poets  stood, 
Who  sang  with  all  the  raptures  of  a  god  : 
Worthies  whose  lives  by  useful  arts  refined ; 
With  those  who  leave  a  deathless  name  behind, 
Friends  of  the  world,  and  fathers  of  mankind." 


CHAPTER    XIII. 

BACCHUS. 

AMONG  all  the  mortal  maidens  honored  by  the  love  of  Jupiter, 
king  of  the  gods,  none  was  more  attractive  than  Semele,  daughter 
of  Cadmus  and  Harmonia. 

"  For  Semele  was  molded  in  the  form 
Of  elegance ;  the  beauty  of  her  race 
Shone  in  her  forehead." 

NONNUS  (Elton's  tr.). 

Although  conscious  of  these  superior  attractions,  Semele  was 
excessively  coy,  and  it  was  only  with  the  greatest  difficulty  that 
Jupiter,  disguised  as  a  mortal,  could  urge  his  love        story  of 
suit.     When  he  had  at  last  obtained  a  hearing,  he         Semele. 
told  her  who  he  was,  calculating  upon  the  effect  which  such  a 
revelation  must  necessarily  produce. 

He  was  not  mistaken  in  his  previsions,  for  Semele,  proud  of  hav- 
ing attracted  the  greatest  among  the  gods,  no  longer  offered  any 
resistance,  and  consented  to  their  union.  Their  love  grew  and 
prospered,  and  Jupiter  came  down  from  Olympus  as  often  as  pos- 
sible to  enjoy  the  society  of  his  beloved.  His  frequent  absences 
finally  aroused  Juno's  suspicions,  and,  as  usual,  she  spared  no 
pains  to  discover  what  powerful  charm  could  draw  him  from  her 
side.  After  a  few  days  she  knew  all,  and  straightway  determined 
to  have  her  revenge,  and  punish  her  fickle  spouse.  To  accomplish 
this  successfully,  she  assumed  the  face  and  form  of  Beroe,  Semele's 
old  nurse,  and  thus  entered  the  young  princess's  apartment  quite 
unsuspected. 

171 


I72  CLASSICAL  MYTHS. 

"  Old  Beroe's  decrepit  shape  she  wears, 
Her  wrinkled  visage,  and  her  hoary  hairs ; 
Whilst  in  her  trembling  gait  she  totters  on, 
And  learns  to  tattle  in  the  nurse's  tone." 

OVID  (Addison's  tr.). 

There  she  immediately  entered  into  conversation  with  her  sup- 
posed nursling,  artfully  extracted  a  complete  confession,  heard 
with  suppressed  rage  how  long  Jupiter  had  wooed  ere  he  had 
finally  won  the  maiden's  consent,  and  received  a  rapturous  and 
minute  catalogue  of  all  his  personal  charms  and  a  synopsis  of  all 
they  had  both  said. 

The  false  nurse  listened  with  apparent  sympathy ;  but  in  reality 
she  was  furious,  and,  to  put  an  end  to  it  all,  asked  Semele  if 
she  were  quite  sure  he  was  king  of  the  gods,  as  he  asserted,  and 
whether  he  visited  her  in  all  the  pomp  of  his  regal  apparel. 
The  maiden  shamefacedly  replied  that  he  was  wont  to  visit  her 
in  the  guise  of  a  mortal  only ;  whereupon  Beroe,  with  feigned 
indignation,  told  her  nursling  he  must  either  be  a  vile  impostor, 
or  else  that  he  did  not  love  her  as  dearly  as  he  loved  Juno,  in 
whose  presence  he  seldom  appeared  except  in  godlike  array. 

With  artful  words  she  so  worked  upon  the  guileless  nature  of  her 
rival,  that,  when  Jupiter  next  came,  the  maiden  used  all  her  blan- 
dishments to  extort  from  him  a  solemn  oath  to  grant  any  request 
she  chose  to  make.  A  lover  is  not  very  likely  to  weigh  his 
words  under  such  circumstances,  and  Jupiter  took  the  most 
solemn  of  all  the  oaths  to  gratify  her  whim. 

"  'Bear  me  witness,  Earth,  and  ye,  broad  Heavens 
Above  us,  and  ye,  waters  of  the  Styx, 
That  flow  beneath  us,  mightiest  oath  of  all, 
And  most  revered  by  the  blessed  gods  ! ' ' 

HOMER  (Bryant's  tr.). 

The  promise  won,  the  delighted  Semele  bade  her  lover  speed- 
ily return  to  Olympus,  don  his  own  majestic  form  and  apparel, 
and  hasten  back  to  her  side,  surrounded  by  all  his  heavenly 


BACCHUS.  173 

pomp,  and  armed  with  his  dreaded  thunderbolts.  Jupiter,  horri- 
fied at  this  imprudent  request,  implored  her  to  ask  something  else, 
and  release  him  from  a  promise  fraught  with  such  danger  to  her ; 
but  all  in  vain.  Semele,  like  many  another  fair  lady,  enjoyed 
having  her  own  way,  and  fairly  forced  him  to  obey. 

Jupiter  returned  to  Olympus,  modified  his  costume  as  much 
as  possible,  dimmed  his  glory  wherever  he  could,  and  chose  the 
feeblest  of  all  his  bolts,  for  well  he  knew  no  mere  mortal  could 
endure  the  shock  of  his  full  glory.  Then,  mounted  on  a  pale 
flash  of  lightning,  he  darted  back  to  Semele. 

"  To  keep  his  promise  he  ascends,  and  shrouds 
His  awful  brow  in  whirlwinds  and  in  clouds ; 
Whilst  all  around,  in  terrible  array, 
His  thunders  rattle,  and  his  lightnings  play. 
And  yet,  the  dazzling  luster  to  abate, 
He  set  not  out  in  all  his  pomp  and  state, 
Clad  in  the  mildest  lightning  of  the  skies, 
And  arm'd  with  thunder  of  the  smallest  size : 
Not  those  huge  bolts,  by  which  the  giants  slain, 
Lay  overthrown  on  the  Phlegrean  plain. 
'Twas  of  a  lesser  mold,  and  lighter  weight ; 
They  call  it  thunder  of  a  second-rate. 
For  the  rough  Cyclops,  who  by  Jove's  command 
Temper'd  the  bolt  and  turn'd  it  to  his  hand, 
Work'd  up  less  flame  and  fury  in  its  make, 
And  quench'd  it  sooner  in  the  standing  lake. 
Thus  dreadfully  adorn'd,  with  horror  bright, 
Th'  illustrious  god,  descending  from  his  height, 
Came  rushing  on  her  in  a  storm  of  light." 

OVID  (Addison's  tr.). 

But,  although  so  much  milder  than  usual,  this  apparition  was 
more  than  poor  Semele's  human  nerves  could  bear,  and  she 
dropped  to  the  floor  in  a  swoon  at  the  first  glimpse  of  her  lover. 
Oblivious  of  all  but  her  alarming  condition,  Jupiter  sprang  to  her 
side ;  but  the  lightning  which  played  about  his  head  set  fire  to 
the  whole  palace,  which  was  reduced  to  ashes. 


174  CLASSICAL   MYTHS. 

Semele  herself  perished,  burned  to  death ;  and  the  only  person 

in  all  the  building  who  escaped  uninjured  was  Bacchus  (Liber, 

Birth  of         Dionysius),  the  infant  son  of  Jupiter  and  Semele, 

Bacchus.        Wj10   wag   savej   by  j-,js   father's   powerful  hand. 

Jupiter  was  at  first  inconsolable  at  the  death  of  Semele ;  and,  to 

testify  to  all  mortals  how  fondly  he  had  loved  her,  he  brought  her 

spirit  up  to  heaven,  where  he  raised  her  to  the  rank  of  a  deity. 

"  Semele  of  the  flowing  hair, 
Who  died  in  Thunder's  crashing  flame, 
To  deified  existence  came." 

PRIOR. 

The  infant  Bacchus  was  first  intrusted  to  the  care  of  his  aunt 
Ino,  the  second  wife  of  Athamas,  King  of  Thebes,  who  nursed 
him  as  tenderly  as  if  he  had  been  her  own  child.  But  all  her 
love  could  not  avail  to  screen  him  from  the  effects  of  Juno's 
persistent  hatred :  so  Jupiter,  fearing  lest  some  harm  might  befall 
his  precious  son,  bade  Mercury  convey  him  to  the  distant  home 
of  the  Nysiades,  —  nymphs  who  guarded  him  most  faithfully. 

Juno,  not  daring  to  continue  her  persecutions,  wreaked  all  her 
anger  upon  poor  Ino  and  her  unhappy  household  by  sending  the 
Fury  Tisiphone  to  goad  Athamas  to  madness.  In  a  fit  of  deluded 
frenzy,  he  pursued  his  wife  and  children  as  if  they  were  wild 
beasts.  One  of  his  sons,  Learchus,  fell  beneath  his  arrows ;  and, 
to  escape  his  murderous  fury,  Ino  plunged  headlong  into  the  sea 
with  her  second  child  in  her  arms.  The  gods,  in  pity  for  her 
sufferings,  changed  her  into  the  goddess  Leucothea,  and  her  son 
into  a  sea  deity  by  the  name  of  Palaemon. 

When  still  but  a  youth,  Bacchus  was  appointed  god  of  wine 
and  revelry,  and  intrusted  to  the  guidance  of  Silenus,  a  satyr, 

Bacchus'        half  man  and  half  goat,  who  educated  him,  and 

attendants.  accompanied  him  on  all  his  travels ;  for  he  de- 
lighted in  roaming  all  over  the  world,  borne  by  his  followers,  or 
riding  in  his  chariot  drawn  by  wild  beasts,  while  his  tutor  fol- 
lowed him,  mounted  on  an  ass,  supported  on  either  side  by  an 
attendant. 


(<75> 


176  CLASSICAL  MYTHS. 

"  And  near  him  rode  Silenus  on  his  ass, 
Pelted  with  flowers  as  he  on  did  pass." 

KEATS. 

Bacchus'  train  was  very  large  indeed,  and  composed  of  men 
and  women,  nymphs,  fauns,  and  satyrs,  all  crowned  with  ivy 
leaves,  who  drank  wine,  —  a  drink  compounded  for  their  express 
use  out  of  water  and  sunshine,  —  ate  grapes,  danced  and  sang, 
and  loudly  proclaimed  him  their  chosen  leader. 

"  '  We  follow  Bacchus  !  Bacchus  on  the  wing, 

A  conquering ! 

Bacchus,  young  Bacchus  !  good  or  ill  betide, 
We  dance  before  him  thorough  kingdoms  wide.'  " 

KEATS. 

The  most  unruly  among  his  female  followers  were  the  Bac- 
chantes, who  delighted  in  revelry,  and  were  in  a  perpetual  state 
of  intoxication  as  they  went  with  him  from  land  to  land,  where 
he  taught  the  people  the  cultivation  of  the  vine  and  the  art  of 
making  wine.  He  traveled  thus,  it  is  said,  throughout  Greece 
and  Asia  Minor,  and  even  ventured  as  far  as  India  and  Ethiopia. 

During  these  long  journeys,  Bacchus,  as  was  inevitable,  met 

with  many  adventures,  which  have  been  fertile  themes  for  poetry 

Bacchus  and     and  art.     On  one  occasion,  having  strayed  away 

the  pirates.  from  his  followers  and  lost  his  way,  Bacchus  laid 
himself  down  upon  the  sand  on  the  seashore  to  rest.  Some 
pirates,  sailing  by,  saw  the  handsome  young  sleeper,  and  noise- 
lessly bore  him  off  to  their  vessel,  intending  to  sell  him  as  a  slave 
in  Egypt. 

They  were  already  quite  far  out  at  sea  when  the  god  awoke, 
and  gazed  around  him  in  mute  wonder  at  his  surroundings. 
When  fully  roused,  he  bade  the  seamen  take  him  back  to  land, 
but  they  merely  replied  by  laughter  and  mockery.  Their  amuse- 
ment was  cut  short,  however,  for  the  ship  came  to  a  sudden 
standstill ;  and,  when  they  leaned  over  the  sides  to  ascertain  why 
their  oars  could  no  longer  propel  it  onward,  they  saw  a  vine 


BACCHUS.  177 

grow  out  of  the  sea,  and  twine  its  branches  and  tendrils  with  light- 
ning-like velocity  around  oars,  mast,  and  rigging,  thus  transform- 
ing the  vessel  into  a  floating  arbor.  Then  a  sound  of  music  and 
revelry  greeted  their  astonished  ears,  and  Bacchus'  followers 
came  thronging  over  the  ship's  sides,  riding  on  wild  beasts,  and 
chanting  the  praises  of  their  god  and  of  his  favorite  beverage. 

"  In  chorus  we  sing  of  wine,  sweet  wine, 
Its  power  benign,  and  its  flavor  divine." 

MARTINEZ  DE  LA  ROSA. 

These  extraordinary  sights  and  sounds  so  bewildered  the  poor 
sailors,  that  they  lost  all  presence  of  mind,  and  jumped  overboard 
into  the  sea,  where  they  were  drowned  and  changed  into  dolphins. 

On  another  occasion,  Silenus,  after  a  great  carousal,  lost  his 
way  in  the  forest,  and  helplessly  wandered  from  place  to  place 
in  search  of  his  companions,  until  he  finally  came  to  the  court 
of  Midas,  King  of  Lydia,  of  ass's  ears  fame  (p.  75). 

Midas  no  sooner  beheld  the  red  nose  and  bloated  appearance 
of  the  wanderer,  than  he  recognized  him  as  Bacchus'  tutor,  and 
volunteered  to  lead  him  back  to  his  divine  pupil.      The  curse  of 
Delighted  to  see  Silenus  again,  Bacchus  promised  gold> 

Midas  any  reward  he  wished ;  whereupon  Midas,  who  was  an 
avaricious  old  king,  fell  upon  his  knees,  and  humbly  besought 
the  god  to  grant  that  all  he  touched  might  be  changed  into  gold. 

"  '  Give  me,'  says  he  (nor  thought  he  ask'd  too  much), 
'  That  with  my  body  whatsoe'er  I  touch, 
Changed  from  the  nature  which  it  held  of  old, 
May  be  converted  into  yellow  gold.'  " 

OVID  (Croxall's  tr.). 

Bacchus  immediately  signified  that  his  prayer  was  granted; 
and  Midas,  overjoyed  at  the  success  of  his  bold  venture,  wan- 
dered back  to  his  palace,  testing  his  new-won  power,  which 
changed  all  to  gold  at  a  mere  touch  of  one  of  his  fingers. 

"  Down  from  a  lowly  branch  a  twig  he  drew, 
The  twig  straight  glitter'd  with  a  golden  hue. 


178  CLASSICAL   MYTHS. 

He  takes  a  stone,  the  stone  was  turn'd  to  gold : 

A  clod  he  touches,  and  the  crumbling  mold 

Acknowledged  soon  the  great  transforming  power, 

In  weight  and  substance  like  a  mass  of  ore. 

He  pluck'd  the  corn,  and  straight  his  grasp  appears 

Fill'd  with  a  bending  tuft  of  golden  ears. 

An  apple  next  he  takes,  and  seems  to  hold 

The  bright  Hesperian  vegetable  gold : 

His  hand  he  careless  on  a  pillar  lays, 

With  shining  gold  the  fluted  pillars  blaze." 

OVID   (Croxall's  tr.). 

The  sight  of  these  and  many  other  wonders,  wrought  by  a 
mere  touch,  filled  his  heart  with  joy ;  and  in  his  elation  he  bade 
his  servants  prepare  a  sumptuous  feast,  and  invite  all  his  cour- 
tiers to  share  his  merriment.  His  commands  were  obeyed  with 
the  utmost  celerity,  and  Midas  beamed  with  satisfaction  as  he 
took  his  place  at  the  head  of  the  board,  and  viewed  the  choice 
dishes  and  wines  prepared  for  his  delectation. 

Here,  too,  however,  a  new  revelation  awaited  him ;  for  cloth, 
plate,  and  cup  turned  to  gold,  as  did  the  food  and  drink  as  soon 
as  they  met  his  eager  lips. 

"  Whose  powerful  hands  the  bread  no  sooner  hold, 
But  all  its  substance  is  transform'd  to  gold : 
Up  to  his  mouth  he  lifts  the  savory  meat, 
Which  turns  to  gold  as  he  attempts  to  eat : 
His  patron's  noble  juice  of  purple  hue, 
Touch'd  by  his  lips,  a  gilded  cordial  grew, 
Unfit  for  drink;  and,  wondrous  to  behold, 
It  trickles  from  his  jaws  a  fluid  gold. 
The  rich  poor  fool,  confounded  with  surprise, 
Starving  in  all  his  various  plenty  lies." 

OVID  (Croxall's  tr.). 

In  the  midst  of  plenty,  the  gnawing  pangs  of  hunger  now 
made  themselves  felt ;  and  the  precious  gift,  which  prevented  his 
allaying  them,  soon  lost  all  its  attractions.  With  weary  feet, 


BACCHUS.  179 

Midas  now  retraced  the  road  he  had  traveled  in  his  pride  a  few 
hours  before,  again  cast  himself  at  Bacchus'  feet,  and  this  time 
implored  him  to  take  back  the  inconvenient  gift,  which  pre- 
vented him  from  satisfying  his  natural  appetites. 

His  distress  seemed  so  real,  that  Bacchus  bade  him  go  and 
wash  in  the  Pactolus  River,  if  he  would  be  rid  of  the  power 
which  had  so  soon  turned  into  a  curse.  Midas  hastened  off  to 
the  river  and  plunged  in  its  tide,  noting  that  even  its  sands  all 
turned  to  gold  beneath  his  tread ;  since  when, 

"  Pactolus  singeth  over  golden  sands." 

GRAY. 

Bacchus'  favorite  place  of  resort  was  the  Island  of  Naxos, 
which  he  visited  after  every  journey.  During  one  of  his  sojourns 
there,  he  discovered  a  fair  maiden  lying  alone  on 
the  sandy  shore.  Ariadne,  for  such  was  the  girl's 
name,  had  been  forsaken  there  by  her  lover,  Theseus,  who  had 
sailed  away  while  she  slept  (p.  257).  As  soon  as  she  awoke,  she 
called  her  faithless  lover ;  but  no  answering  sound  fell  upon  her 
ear  except  the  mocking  tones  of  Echo.  Her  tears  flowed  freely 
as  she  beat  her  breast  in  despair ;  but  suddenly  her  lamentations 
ceased,  as  she  caught  the  faint  sound  of  music  floating  toward 
her  on  the  summer  breeze.  Eagerly  turning  toward  the  pleasant 
music,  she  caught  sight  of  a  merry  procession,  headed  by  the  God 
of  Wine. 

"  '  And  as  I  sat,  over  the  light  blue  hills 
There  came  a  noise  of  revelers :  the  rills 
Into  the  wide  stream  came  of  purple  hue  — 

'Twas  Bacchus  and  his  crew  ! 
The  earnest  trumpet  spake,  and  silver  thrills 
From  kissing  cymbals  made  a  merry  din  — 

'T\vas  Bacchus  and  his  kin  ! 
Like  to  a  moving  vintage  down  they  came, 
Crown'd  with  green  leaves,  and  faces  all  on  flame ; 
All  madly  dancing  through  the  pleasant  valley.' " 

KEATS. 


(i8o) 


ARIADNE.  — Dannelcer. 
(.  Frankfort-on-Main. ) 


BACCHUS.  181 

Bacchus,  the  first  to  perceive  the  fair  mourner,  hastened  to  her 
side,  and  brought  all  his  powers  of  persuasion  into     Bacchus  and 
play  to  console  her.     His  devotion  at  last  induced        Ariadne, 
her  to  forget  her  recreant  lover,  and,  after  a  short  courtship,  Bac- 
chus won  her  as  a  bride. 

Their  wedding  was  the  gayest  ever  seen,  and  the  feasting 
lasted  for  several  days.  The  bridegroom  presented  the  bride 
with  a  crown  adorned  with  seven  glittering  stars,  —  an  ornament 
which  fitly  enhanced  her  peerless  beauty.  Shortly  after  her  mar- 
riage, however,  poor  Ariadne  sickened  and  died,  leaving  a  dis- 
consolate widower,  who  took  the  crown  she  had  so  often  worn 
and  flung  it  up  into  the  air.  It  rose  higher  and  higher,  until 
the  gods  fixed  it  in  the  sky,  where  it  still  forms  a  brilliant  con- 
stellation, known  as  Ariadne's  Crown,  or  Corona. 

"  And  still  her  sign  is  seen  in  heaven, 
And,  'midst  the  glittering  symbols  of  the  sky, 
The  starry  crown  of  Ariadne  glides." 

APOLLONIUS  RHODIUS. 

Bacchus'  lightheartedness  had  all  vanished,  and  he  no  longer 
took  any  pleasure  in  music,  dance,  or  revelry,  until  Jupiter,  in  pity 
for  his  bereavement,  restored  Ariadne  to  his  longing  arms,  and, 
to  prevent  her  being  again  claimed  by  Death,  gave  her  immortal 
life. 

When  but  a  short  distance  from  Thebes,  Bacchus  once  sent  a 
herald  to  Pentheus,  the  king,  to  announce  his  approach,  and 
bespeak  a  suitable  reception  and  sumptuous  en-         story  of 
tertainment.     Rumors  of  the  noise  and  disorder,       Pentheus. 
which  seemed  to  have  been  the  invariable  accompaniment  of  the 
god's  presence,  had  already  reached  Pentheus,  who  therefore  dis- 
missed the  herald  with  an  insolent  message,  purporting  that  Bac- 
chus had  better  remain  outside  of  the  city  gates. 

To  avenge  this  insult,  Bacchus  inspired  the  Theban  women 
with  a  species  of  dementia,  which  made  them  rush  simultane- 
ously out  of  the  city  and  join  his  followers.  Then  they  all  clam- 


1 82  CLASSICAL  I^YTHS. 

ored  for  permission  to  witness  the  religious  rites  in  his  honor, 
generally  called  Mysteries,  which  permission  was  graciously 
granted. 

The  king's  spies  reported  all  that  had  occurred,  and  their 
accounts  made  Pentheus  long  to  view  the  ceremonies  in  secret. 
He  therefore  disguised  himself,  and  hid  in  a  bush  near  the  con- 
secrated place,  hoping  to  see  all  without  being  seen ;  but  an 
inadvertent  movement  attracted  the  attention  of  the  already  ex- 
cited Bacchantes,  who,  led  by  Agave,  the  king's  own  mother, 
dragged  him  from  his  hiding  place  and  tore  him  limb  from  limb. 

Bacchus,  god  of  wine,  was  worshiped  throughout  the  ancient 

world,  and  festivals  without  number  were  held  in  his  honor. 

Worship  of      The  most  noted  were  the  Greater  and  Lesser  Di- 

Bacchus.  onysia,  the  Liberalia,  and  the  Bacchanalia,  where 
the  wildest  merrymaking  and  license  were  freely  indulged  in  by 
all  participants. 

"Bacchus,  on  thee  they  call,  in  hymns  divine, 
And  hang  thy  statues  on  the  lofty  pine : 
Hence  plenty  every  laughing  vineyard  fills, 
Thro'  the  deep  valleys  and  the  sloping  hills ; 
Where'er  the  god  inclines  his  lovely  face, 
More  luscious  fruits  the  rich  plantations  grace. 
Then  let  us  Bacchus'  praises  duly  sing, 
And  consecrated  cakes,  and  chargers  bring, 
Dragg'd  by  their  horns  let  victim  goats  expire, 
And  roast  on  hazel  spits  before  the  sacred  fire." 

"  Come,  sacred  sire,  with  luscious  clusters  crown'd, 
Here  all  the  riches  of  thy  reign  abound ; 
Each  field  replete  with  blushing  autumn  glows, 
And  in  deep  tides  for  thee  the  foaming  vintage  flows." 

VIRGIL  (Warton's  tr.). 

Bacchus  is  generally  represented  as  a  handsome  youth,  crowned 
with  ivy  or  grape  leaves  and  clusters,  bearing  the  thyrsus,  an  ivy- 
circled  wand,  as  scepter,  and  riding  in  a  chariot  drawn  by  pan- 
thers or  leopards. 


CHAPTER    XIV. 

CERES    AND    PROSERPINA. 

CERES  (Demeter),  daughter  of  Cronus  and  Rhea,  and  one  of 
Jupiter's  numerous  consorts,  was  goddess  of  agriculture  and  civil- 
ization.    Her  manifold  cares  were  shared  by  her       ceres  and 
daughter,  Proserpina  (Cora,  Pherephatta,  Perseph-      Proserpina, 
one),   the    goddess   of   vegetation.     Whenever  her   duties   per- 
mitted, this  fair  young  goddess  hastened  off  to  the   Island  of 
Sicily,  her  favorite  place  of  resort,  where  she  wandered  about  all 
day  long,  attended  by  a  merry  girlish  train,  gathering  flowers, 
on   the   green   slopes  of  Mount   ^tna,  and   danced  with  the 
nymphs  in  the  beautiful  plain  of  Enna. 

One  day,  weary  of  labor,  Proserpina  called  these  fair  play- 
mates to  join  her  and  spend  a  merry  day  gathering  flowers. 

"  And  one  fair  morn  — 
Not  all  the  ages  blot  it  —  on  the  side 
Of  ALtna.  we  were  straying.     There  was  then 
Summer  nor  winter,  springtide  nor  the  time 
Of  harvest,  but  the  soft  unfailing  sun 
Shone  always,  and  the  sowing  time  was  one 
With  reaping." 

LEWIS  MORRIS. 

The  maidens  sang  merry  lays  as  they  wound  their  long  gar- 
lands ;   and  their  joyous  voices  and  ripples  of  silvery  laughter 
attracted  the  attention  of  Pluto,  just  then  driving     Pluto  kidnaps 
past  in  his  dark  chariot  drawn  by  four  fiery  coal-      Proserpina, 
black  steeds.      To  ascertain  whence  these  sounds  proceeded,  the 

183 


184  CLASSICAL  MYTHS. 

god  stepped  out  of  his  car,  and  cautiously  peeped  through  the 
thick  foliage. 

He  saw  Proserpina  sitting  on  a  mossy  bank,  almost  buried  in 
many-hued  blossoms,  her  laughing  companions  picturesquely 
grouped  around  her.  One  glance  sufficed  to  convince  Pluto  of 
her  loveliness  and  grace,  and  to  make  him  feel  that  his  happiness 
depended  on  the  possession  of  this  bright  young  creature. 

Long  ere  this,  he  had  tried  to  persuade  one  after  another  of  the 
goddesses  to  share  his  gloomy  throne ;  but  one  and  all  had  refused 
the  honor,  and  declined  to  accompany  him  to  a  land  where  the  sun 
never  shone,  the  birds  never  sang,  and  the  flowers  never  bloomed. 
Hurt  and  disappointed  by  these  rebuffs,  Pluto  had  finally  regis- 
tered a  solemn  vow  never  to  go  wooing  again  ;  and  so,  instead 
of  gently  inviting  Proserpina  to  become  his  queen,  he  resolved 
to  kidnap  her. 

Straight  through  the  bushes  he  strode,  direct  to  the  spot  where 
she  was  seated.  The  noise  of  crackling  branches  and  hasty  foot- 
steps made  the  assembled  maidens  swiftly  turn.  One  glance 
sufficed  to  identify  the  intruder,  for  none  but  he  could  boast  of 
such  a  dark,  lowering  countenance  ;  and  all  exclaimed  in  mingled 
wonder  and  terror  at  his  unwonted  presence  in  those  sunlit 
regions. 

"  'Tis  he,  'tis  he  :  he  comes  to  us 
From  the  depths  of  Tartarus. 
For  what  of  evil  doth  he  roam 
From  his  red  and  gloomy  home, 
1        In  the  center  of  the  world, 

Where  the  sinful  dead  are  hurled? 
Mark  him  as  he  moves  along, 
Drawn  by  horses  black  and  strong, 
Such  as  may  belong  to  Night 
Ere  she  takes  her  morning  flight. 
Now  the  chariot  stops :   the  god 
On  our  grassy  world  hath  trod : 
Like  a  Titan  steppeth  he, 
Yet  full  of  his  divinity. 


ABDUCTION  OF  PROSERPINA.— Schobelt 


(185) 


1 86  CLASSICAL  MYTHS. 

On  his  mighty  shoulders  lie 
Raven  locks,  and  in  his  eye 
A  cruel  beauty,  such  as  none 
Of  us  may  wisely  look  upon." 

BARRV  CORNWALL. 

Frightened  by  his  impetuous  approach,  the  trembling  nymphs 
first  crowded  around  Proserpina,  who,  in  her  astonishment  and 
trepidation,  dropped  all  her  pretty  flowers  and  stood  motionless 
among  them.  Her  uncertainty  as  to  his  purpose  was  only  mo- 
mentary, for,  catching  her  in  his  brawny  arms  ere  she  could  make 
an  attempt  to  escape,  he  bore  her  off  to  his  chariot,  in  spite  of 
prayers  and  struggles,  and  drove  away  as  fast  as  his  fleet  steeds 
could  carry  him. 

He  was  soon  out  of  hearing  of  the  wild  cries  and  lamentations 
of  the  nymphs,  who  vainly  pursued  him,  and  tried  to  overtake  their 
beloved  mistress.  Afraid  lest  Ceres  should  come  and  force  him  to 
relinquish  his  new-won  treasure,  Pluto  drove  faster  and  faster, 
nor  paused  for  an  instant  until  he  reached  the  banks  of  the 
Cyane  River,  whose  waters,  at  his  approach,  began  to  seethe  and 
roar  in  a  menacing  fashion,  and  spread  themselves  as  much  as 
possible,  to  check  him  in  his  flight. 

Pluto  quickly  perceived  that  to  attempt  to  cross  the  river  in 
his  chariot  would  be  madness,  while  by  retracing  his  footsteps 
he  ran  the  risk  of  meeting  Ceres,  and  being  forced  to  relinquish 
his  prize.  He  therefore  decided  to  have  recourse  to  other  means, 
and,  seizing  his  terrible  two-pronged  fork,  struck  the  earth  such  a 
mighty  blow,  that  a  great  crevice  opened  under  his  feet,  through 
which  horses  and  chariot  plunged  down  into  the  darkness  of  the 
Lower  World. 

Proserpina  turned  her  weeping  eyes  to  catch  a  parting  glimpse 
of  the  fair  earth  she  was  leaving,  and  then,  with  a  fond  thought 
of  her  anxious  mother,  who,  when  evening  came,  would  vainly 
seek  her  child  in  all  her  favorite  haunts,  she  quickly  flung  her 
girdle  into  the  Cyane,  and  called  to  the  water  nymph  to  carry  it 
to  Ceres. 


CERES  AND   PROSERPINA.  187 

Elated  by  the  complete  success  of  his  bold  venture,  and  no 
longer  fearful  of  immediate  pursuit,  the  happy  god  strained  his 
fair  captive  to  his  breast,  pressed  kisses  on  her  fresh  young  cheeks, 
and  tried  to  calm  her  terrors,  as  the  black  steeds  rushed  faster 
and  faster  along  the  dark  passage,  nor  paused  until  they  reached 
the  foot  of  their  master's  throne. 

"  Pleased  as  he  grasps  her  in  his  iron  arms, 
Frights  with  soft  sighs,  with  tender  words  alarms." 

DARWIN. 

In  the  mean  while  the  sun  had  sunk  below  the  Sicilian  horizon ; 
and  Ceres,  returning  from  the  fields  of  fast-ripening  grain  to  her 
own  dwelling,  sought  for  the  missing  Proserpina, 

.  .    .        .  ,  Ceres'  search. 

of  whom  no  trace  could  be  found  except  the  scat- 
tered flowers.  Hither  and  thither  the  mother  wandered,  calling 
her  daughter,  and  wondering  where  she  could  be,  and  why  she  did 
not  come  bounding  to  meet  her.  As  time  passed,  and  still  Pro- 
serpina did  not  appear,  Ceres'  heart  beat  fast  with  apprehension, 
and  the  tears  coursed  down  her  cheeks  as  she  rushed  about  from 
place  to  place,  calling  her  daughter. 

"  What  ails  her  that  she  comes  not  home  ? 

Demeter  seeks  her  far  and  wide, 
And  gloomy-browed  doth  ceaseless  roam 

From  many  a  morn  till  eventide. 
'  My  life,  immortal  though  it  be, 
Is  naught ! '  she  cries,  'for  want  of  thee, 
Persephone  —  Persephone  ! '  " 

INGKLOW. 

Night  came,  and  Ceres,  kindling  a  torch  at  the  volcanic  fires  of 
Mount  jfAna,  continued  her  search.  Day  dawned,  and  still  the 
mother  called,  awakening  the  morning  echoes  with  her  longing 
cries  for  her  child.  Her  daily  duties  were  all  neglected.  The 
rain  no  longer  refreshed  the  drooping  flowers,  the  grain  was 
parched  by  the  ardent  rays  of  the  sun,  and  the  grass  all  perished, 
while  Ceres  roamed  over  hill  and  dale  in  search  of  Proserpina. 


1 88  CLASSICAL  MYTHS. 

Weary  at  last  of  her  hopeless  quest,  the  goddess  seated  herself 
by  the  wayside,  near  the  city  of  Eleusis,  and  gave  way  to  her 
overwhelming  grief. 

"  Long  was  thine  anxious  search 
For  lovely  Proserpine,  nor  didst  thou  break 
Thy  mournful  fast,  till  the  far-fam'd  Eleusis 
Received  thee  wandering." 

ORPHIC  HYMN. 

To  avoid  recognition,  she  had  assumed  the  appearance  of  an 
aged  crone;  and  as  she  sat  there  by  the  wayside,  in  tears,  she 

Ceres  and  attracted  the  compassionate  inquiries  of  the  daugh- 
Tnptoiemus.  ters  o£  ceieuSj  king  of  the  country.  Having  heard 
her  bewail  the  loss  of  her  child,  they  entreated  her  to  come  to 
the  palace,  and,  knowing  nothing  could  so  well  soothe  a  break- 
ing heart,  offered  her  the  charge  of  their  infant  brother  Triptolemus. 

Ceres,  touched  by  their  ready  sympathy,  accepted  the  offer; 
and  when  she  arrived  at  the  palace,  the  royal  heir  was  intrusted 
to  her  care.  Tenderly  the  goddess  kissed  the  puny  child's  little 
pinched  face ;  and  at  her  touch  the  child  became  rosy  and  well, 
to  the  unbounded  astonishment  of  the  royal  family  and  all  the 
court. 

In  the  night,  while  Ceres  sat  alone  with  her  charge,  it  occurred 
to  her  that  she  might  confer  a  still  greater  blessing  upon  him, 
that  of  immortality :  so  she  anointed  his  limbs  with  nectar,  mur- 
mured a  powerful  charm,  and  placed  him  upon  the  red-hot  coals, 
to  consume  all  the  perishable  elements  left  in  his  body. 

The  queen,  Metaneira.  who  had  thought  it  somewhat  impru- 
dent to  leave  the  child  thus  alone  with  a  stranger,  now  stole 
noiselessly  into  the  apartment,  and  with  a  wild  shriek  rushed  to 
the  fire  and  snatched  her  child  out  of  the  flames,  pressed  him 
anxiously  to  her  breast,  and,  after  ascertaining  that  he  was  quite 
unharmed,  turned  to  vent  her  indignation  upon  the  careless 
nurse ;  but  the  aged  beggar  woman  had  vanished,  and  in  her 
stead  she  confronted  the  radiant  Goddess  of  Agriculture. 


CERES. 
(  Vatican,  Rome.) 


(189) 


i  go  CLASSICAL   MYTHS. 

"  From  her  fragrant  robes 
A  lovely  scent  was  scattered,  and  afar 
Shone  light  emitted  from  her  skin  divine, 
And  yellow  locks  upon  her  shoulders  waved; 
White  as  from  lightning,  all  the  house  was  filled 
With  splendor-" 

HOMERIC  HYMN. 

With  a  gentle  reproof  to  the  queen  for  her  untimely  interference, 
Ceres  explained  what  she  fain  would  have  done,  and  vanished, 
to  continue  her  wanderings  in  other  lands.  She  finally  returned 
to  Italy ;  and,  while  wandering  along  the  river  banks  one  day, 
the  waters  suddenly  cast  a  glittering  object  at  her  feet.  Stooping 
hastily  to  ascertain  what  it  might  be,  she  recognized  the  girdle 
her  daughter  had  worn  when  she  had  parted  from  her  in  Sicily. 

Joyfully  she  embraced  the  token,  and,  thinking  she  must  now 
be  upon  Proserpina's  track,  hastened  on  until  she  came  to  a  crys- 
tal fountain,  by  whose  side  she  sat  down  to  rest.  Her  eyes 
were  heavy  with  the  combined  effect  of  tears,  fatigue,  and  op- 
pressive heat,  and  she  was  about  to  lose  all  consciousness  of  her 
trouble  in  sleep,  when  the  murmur  of  the  fountain  increased,  until 
she  fancied  it  was  talking ;  not  as  mortals  do,  but  in  its  own  sil- 
very accents. 

The  goddess  was  not  mistaken  ;  for  a  few  minutes  later  she  could 

distinguish  words,  and  heard  the  fountain  entreat  her  to  listen, 

Arethusa  and     if  she  would  hear  what  had  befallen  her  child. 

Aipheus.  The  fountain  then  went  on  to  tell  how  she  had  not 
always  been  a  mere  stream,  but  was  once  a  nymph,  called  Are- 
thusa, in  Diana's  train,  and  how,  overcome  by  the  heat,  she  had 
once  sought  a  cool  stream  wherein  she  might  bathe  her  heated 
limbs. 

She  soon  found  one,  the  Aipheus  River,  and  selected  a  spot 
where  the  trees  hung  over  the  limpid  waters,  where  the  sand  on 
the  bottom  was  fine  and  even,  and  where  no  mortal  eyes  could 
see  her  as  she  threw  aside  her  sandals  and  outer  garments.  She 
was  enjoying  the  refreshing  sensation  of  the  water  rippling 


A  NYMPH.— Kray. 


(191) 


192  CLASSICAL   MYTHS. 

around  her  hot  limbs,  and  was  reveling  in  the  complete  solitude, 
when  suddenly  the  river,  until  now  as  smooth  as  a  mirror,  was 
ruffled  by  waves,  which  crept  nearer  and  nearer  to  the  startled 
nymph,  until  in  'affright  she  sprang  out  of  the  water. 

Then  a  voice — the  voice  of  the  river  god  Alpheus — was  heard, 
calling  to  her  in  pleading  accents  to  stay  her  flight  and  lend 
an  ear  to  his  wooing ;  but  when  the  impetuous  god,  instead  of 
waiting  for  an  answer  to  his  suit,  rose  up  out  of  the  water  and 
rushed  to  clasp  her  in  his  arms,  she  turned  and  fled  in  great 
terror.  She  fled,  but  he  pursued.  Over  hill  and  dale,  through 
forest  and  field,  Arethusa  ran,  still  closely  followed  by  her  too 
ardent  lover,  until,  exhausted,  she  paused  for  breath,  crying  aloud 
to  Diana  to  come  to  her  rescue. 

Her  prayer  was  answered.  A  moment  later  she  was  enveloped 
in  a  thick  mist  and  transformed  into  a  fountain.  Alpheus  could 
no  longer  see  her,  but  wandered  about,  bewailing  her  disappear- 
ance, and  calling  her  in  passionate  accents. 

"  '  O  Arethusa,  peerless  nymph  !  why  fear 
Such  tenderness  as  mine  ?     Great  Dian,  why, 
Why  didst  thou  hear  her  prayer  ?     Oh  that  I 
Were  rippling  round  her  dainty  fairness  now, 
Circling  about  her  waist,  and  striving  how 
To  entice  her  to  a  dive  !  then  stealing  in 
Between  her  luscious  lips  and  eyelids  thin.'  " 

KEATS. 

The  misty  cloud  in  which  Arethusa  had  been  enveloped  by 
Diana's  protecting  care  was  soon  blown  away  by  a  mischievous 
breath  from  Zephyrus;  and  Alpheus,  who  was  still  hovering 
near  there,  suddenly  beholding  a  fountain  where  none  had  ever 
existed  before,  surmised  what  had  happened.  Changing  him- 
self into  an  impetuous  torrent,  he  rushed  to  join  his  beloved,  who 
sprang  out  of  her  mossy  bed,  and  hurried  on  over  sticks  and 
stones,  until  Diana,  seeing  her  new  plight,  opened  a  crevice, 
through  which  she  glided  away  from  the  bright  sunlight  she 
loved  so  well  into  the  depths  of  Pluto's  realm. 


CERES  AND  PROSERPINA.  193 

While  gliding  there  in  the  gloom,  Arethusa  had  caught  a 
glimpse  of  Proserpina  on  her  sable  throne,  beside  the  stern-browed 
Pluto.  She  could  not,  however,  pause  to  inquire  how  she  came 
there,  but  hurried  on  breathlessly,  until  another  crevice  offered 
her  the  means  of  returning  to  the  upper  world,  and  seeing  once 
more  the  blue  sky  and  sun  on  the  Sicilian  plains. 

The  monotonous  murmur  of  the  fountain  now  subsided  again 
into  its  usual  undertone ;  and  Ceres,  knowing  where  to  seek  her 
daughter,  was  about  to  depart,  when  she  heard  the  sudden  rush 
and  roar  of  a  large  body  of  water.  She  immediately  turned,  and 
beheld  the  torrent  Alpheus,  who,  after  a  disconsolate  search  under- 
ground for  the  lost  Arethusa,  had  found  a  crevice,  through  which 
he  passed  to  join  his  beloved  on  the  Sicilian  plains. 

"  Alpheus,  Ells'  stream,  they  say, 
Beneath  the  seas  here  found  his  way, 
And  now  his  waters  interfuse 
With  thine,  O  fountain  Arethuse, 
Beneath  Sicilian  skies." 

VIRGIL  (Conington's  tr.). 

In  spite  of  her  previous  efforts  to  escape  him,  Arethusa  must 
still  have  been  very  glad  to  see  him  once  more,  for  Ceres  heard 
her  murmur  contentedly  as  she  sank  into  his  arms  and  listened 
to  his  louder  tones  of  rapturous  love. 

Maidens  in  Greece  were  wont  to  throw  fresh  garlands  into  the 
Alpheus  River;  and  it  was  said  the  selfsame  flowers,  carried 
away  by  his  current,  soon  reappeared  in  the  Sicilian  fountain, 
carried  there  as  love  offerings  by  the  enamored  river. 

"  O  my  beloved,  how  divinely  sweet 

Is  the  pure  joy  when  kindred  spirits  meet ! 
Like  him,  the  river  god,  whose  waters  flow, 
With  love  their  only  light,  through  caves  below, 
Wafting  in  triumph  all  the  flowery  braids 
And  festal  rings,  with  which  Olympic  maids 
Have  decked  his  current,  an  offering  meet 
To  lay  at  Arethusa's  shining  feet. 


194  CLASSICAL   MYTHS. 

Think  when  at  last  he  meets  his  fountain  bride 
What  perfect  love  must  thrill  the  blended  tide  ! 
And  lost  in  each,  till  mingling  into  one, 
Their  lot  the  same  for  shadow  or  for  sun, 
A  type  of  true  love,  to  the  deep  they  run." 

MOORE. 

Now,  although  poor  Ceres  had  ascertained  where  to  find  her 

missing  daughter,  her  grief  was  not  at  all  diminished,  for  she  felt 

Ceres'          convinced  that  Pluto  would  never  willingly  relin- 

mouming.  quisn  her.  She  therefore  withdrew  into  a  dark 
cave  to  mourn  unseen,  and  still  further  neglected  her  wonted 
duties. 

Famine  threatened  to  visit  the  people,  and  they  prayed  and  clam- 
ored for  her  aid  ;  but,  absorbed  in  grief,  she  paid  no  heed  to  their 
distress,  and  vowed  that  nothing  on  earth  should  grow,  with  her 
permission,  as  long  as  her  daughter  was  detained  in  Hades.  In 
despair  at  this  frightful  state  of  affairs,  the  people  then  besought 
Jupiter  to  pity  the  sufferings  they  endured,  and  to  allow  Proser- 
pina to  revisit  the  upper  world  once  more. 

"  Arise,  and  set  the  maiden  free ; 
Why  should  the  world  such  sorrow  dree 
By  reason  of  Persephone  ?  " 

INGELOW. 

As  soon  as  she  became  aware  of  this  petition,  Ceres  hastened 
to  Olympus,  to  join  her  supplications  to  the  cries  which  rose  from 
all  parts  of  the  earth  ;  until  Jupiter,  wearied  by  these  importunities, 
consented  to  Proserpina's  return,  upon  condition,  however,  that 
she  had  not  touched  any  food  during  the  whole  time  of  her 
sojourn  in  the  Infernal  Regions. 

"  Last,  Zeus  himself, 
Pitying  the  evil  that  was  done,  sent  forth 
His  messenger  beyond  the  western  rim 
To  fetch  me  back  to  earth." 

LEWIS  MORRIS. 


CERES  AND  PROSERPINA.  195 

Ceres  in  person  hastened  to  her  daughter's  new  abode,  and  was 
about  to  lead  her  away  in  spite  of  Pluto,  when  a  spirit,  Ascalaphus, 
suddenly  declared  that  the  queen  had  partaken  of  The  p0megran- 
some  pomegranate  seeds  that  very  day.     Proser-        ate  seeds. 
pina  could  not  refute  the  charge,  and  Jupiter  decreed  that  for 
every  seed  she  had  eaten  she  should  spend  one  month  of  every 
year  in  her  husband's  gloomy  kingdom. 

Thus  it  came  about  that  Proserpina  was  condemned  to  spend 
one  half  the  year  in  Hades,  and  could  linger  on  the  bright  earth 
only  for  six  months  at  a  time. 

Mercury  was  chosen  to  lead  her  to  and  from  Hades;  and, 
whenever  he  brought  her  out  of  her  gloomy  prison,  the  skies  be- 
came blue  and  sunny,  the  grass  sprang  fresh  and  green  beneath 
her  elastic  tread,  the  flowers  bloomed  along  her  way,  the  birds 
trilled  forth  their  merry  lays,  and  all  was  joy  and  brightness. 

"And  when,  in  springtime,  with  sweet-smelling  flowers 
Of  various  kinds  the  earth  doth  bloom,  thou'lt  come 
From  gloomy  darkness  back  —  a  mighty  joy 
T^o  gods  and  mortal  men." 

HOMERIC  HYMN. 

Ceres,  happy  once  more   in   the   possession  of  her  beloved 
daughter,  cheerfully  and  diligently  attended  to  all  her  duties,  and 
blessed  the  earth  with  plenty;  but  when  the  six     Proserpina's 
months   were  over,  and   the  skies   wept    and  all         return, 
nature  mourned  Proserpina's  departure,  she  again  returned  to 
her  cave,  whence  no  entreaties  could  draw  her. 

As  for  the  merry,  happy-natured  Proserpina,  the  moment 
Hades'  portals  closed  behind  her,  she  became  pale  and  melan- 
choly ;  and  none  would  have  dreamed  the  playful,  flower-crowned 
Goddess  of  Vegetation  was  identical  with  the  sad-faced,  sable- 
vested  Queen  of  Hades  (now  called  Hecate),  who  held  a  pome- 
granate in  one  hand,  and  a  torch  in  the  other.  Proserpina,  like 
Adonis,  was  the  personification  of  vegetation,  visibly  prosperous 
during  the  six  favorable  months  of  the  year,  and  lurking  hidden 
under  the  cold  ground  during  the  remainder  of  the  time. 


196  CLASSICAL   MYTHS. 

Many  beautiful  temples  were  dedicated  to  Ceres  and  Proser- 
Worship  of      Pma  in  Greece  and  Italy,  where  yearly  festivals, 
ceres.         j.ne  fhesmophoria  and    the  Cerealia,  were   cele- 
brated with  great  pomp. 

"  To  Ceres  chief  her  annual  rites  be  paid, 
On  the  green  turf,  beneath  a  fragrant  shade, 
When  winter  ends,  and  spring  serenely  shines, 
Then  fat  the  lambs,  then  mellow  are  the  wines, 
Then  sweet  are  slumbers  on  the  flowery  ground, 
Then  with  thick  shades  are  lofty  mountains  crown'd. 
Let"  all  the  hinds  bend  low  at  Ceres'  shrine ; 
Mix  honey  sweet,  for  her,  with  milk  and  mellow  wine ; 
Thrice  lead  the  victim  the  new  fruits  around, 
And  Ceres  call,  and  choral  hymns  resound  : 
Presume  not,  swains,  the  ripen'd  grain  to  reap, 
Till  crown'd  with  oak  in  antic  dance  ye  leap, 
Invoking  Ceres,  and  in  solemn  lays, 
Exalt  your  rural  queen's  immortal  praise." 

VIRGIL  (C.  Pitt's  tr.). 

To  commemorate  her  long  search  for  her  daughter,  Ceres  re- 
turned to  Eleusis,  taught  her  former  nursling,  Triptolemus,  the 
various  secrets  of  agriculture,  and  gave  him  her  chariot,  bidding 
him  travel  everywhere,  and  teach  the  people  how  to  plow,  sow, 
and  reap ;  and  then  she  instituted  the  Eleusinia,  festivals  held  in 
honor  of  her  daughter  and  herself  at  Eleusis. 

Triptolemus  did  not  fail  to  carry  out  the  goddess's  instructions, 
and  journeyed  far  and  wide,  until  he  finally  reached  the  court  of 
Lyncus,  King  of  Scythia,  where  the  false  monarch  would  have 
treacherously  slain  him  had  not  Ceres  by  timely  interference  pre- 
vented the  execution  of  his  base  purpose  by  changing  the  trai- 
tor into  a  lynx,  the  emblem  of  perfidy. 

Ceres  was  generally  represented  as  a  fair,  matronly  woman,  clad 
in  flowing  draperies,  sometimes  crowned  with  wheat  ears,  and 
bearing  a  sheaf  of  grain  and  a  sickle,  or  with  a  plow  and  a 
horn  of  plenty  disgorging  its  wealth  of  fruit  and  flowers  at  her 
feet.  Groves  were  frequently  dedicated  to  her ;  and  any  mortal 


CERES  AND  PROSERPIXA.  197 

rash  enough  to  lay  the  ax  on  one  of  these  sacred  trees  was  sure 
to  incur  the  goddess's  wrath,  as  is  proved  by  the  story  of  Eri- 
sichthon. 

This  man  was  evidently  a  freethinker,  and,  to  show  his  con- 
tempt for  the  superstitious  veneration  paid  to  Ceres'  trees,  took 
his  ax  and  cut  down  one  of  her  sacred  oaks.     At         story  of 
his  first  blow,  blood  began  to  flow  from  the  tree ;      Erisichthon. 
but,  undeterred  by  the  phenomenon  or  the  entreaties  of  the  by- 
standers, Erisichthon  continued.     Finally,  annoyed  by  the  impor- 
tunities of  the  spectators,  he  turned  and  slew  one  or  two,  and  then 
completed  his  sacrilege. 

Ceres,  incensed  by  his  insolence  and  cruelty,  devised  a  terrible 
chastisement  for  the  unfortunate  man,  and  sent  Famine  to  gnaw 
his  vitals,  and  torment  him  night  and  day.  The  wretch,  tortured 
by  a  hunger  which  no  amount  of  food  could  allay,  disposed  of 
all  his  property  to  obtain  the  means  of  procuring  nourishment ; 
but  his  monstrous  appetite  continued,  and,  as  he  had  but  one 
daughter  left,  he  sold  her  as  a  slave  to  obtain  food. 

The  girl's  master  left  her  alone  for  a  moment  upon  the  sea- 
shore, and,  in  answer  to  her  prayer,  Neptune  delivered  her  from 
servitude  by  changing  her  into  a  fisherman.  When  the  master 
returned  and  found  his  slave  gone,  he  questioned  the  fisherman, 
and,  not  obtaining  any  satisfactory  information,  departed.  Nep- 
tune then  restored  the  maiden  to  her  own  form,  and  let  her  re- 
turn home  ;  but,  as  her  father  sold  her  again,  the  god  was  obliged 
to  interfere  once  more  in  her  behalf,  until  at  last  Erisichthon, 
deprived  of  means  to  procure  food,  devoured  himself. 

Another  anecdote  illustrating  Ceres'  power  is  told  about  a  lad, 
Stellio,  who  made  fun  of  the  goddess  when  she  was  journeying, 
on  account  of  the  haste  with  which  she  disposed       ceres  and 
of  a  bowl    of  gruel    offered   by  some    charitable         Stellio. 
person.     To  punish  the  boy  for  his  rudeness,  Ceres  flung  the 
remainder  of  her  gruel  into  his  face,  and  changed  him  into  a 
lizard. 


CHAPTER    XV. 

VESTA. 

VESTA,  or  Hestia,  daughter  of  Cronus  and  Rhea,  goddess  of 
fire  and  of  the  family  hearth,  and  guardian  angel  of  mankind,  was 

Worship  of  worshiped  principally  throughout  all  Italy,  although 
vesta.  she  a]so  had  shrines  in  Greece  and  Asia  Minor. 

The  family  hearth  in  ancient  times  possessed  a  far  different 
signification  from  what  it  does  now,  and  was  considered  the 
family  altar,  for  there  the  father  of  the  family  was  wont  to  offer 
up  his  daily  prayers  and  sacrifices.  "  As,  according  to  the  old 
heathen  custom,  all  men  were  regarded  as  enemies  unless  by  a 
special  compact  they  had  been  made  friends,  so  Vesta  presided 
especially  over  true  and  faithful  dealing ;  "  and  she  was  therefore 
generally  represented  as  pure  and  undefiled. 

A  beautiful  circular  temple  in  Rome  was  dedicated  to  Vesta's 
service ;  and  here  the  Palladium  of  Troy  was  supposed  to  be  pre- 
served, together  with  the  goddess's  sacred  fire,  originally  kindled 
by  the  rays  of  the  sun. 

This  fire  —  an  emblem  of  the  flame  of  life,  which  the  ancients 
fancied  was  kept  burning  within  each  human  breast  by  Vesta, 
the  life-giver  —  was  kept  constantly  burning,  and  never  allowed 
to  go  out  for  want  of  fuel  or  timely  care.  Its  flames  were  also 
intended  to  represent  the  purity  of  the  goddess,  who,  although 
wooed  by  many  lovers,  —  among  whom  Apollo  and  Neptune  can 
justly  claim  the  precedence,  —  remained  always  a  virgin. 

The  Romans  fancied  that  her  worship  had  been  introduced  in 
Italy  by  y£neas,  their  famous  ancestor,  who  brought  thither  his 

198 


('99) 


200  CLASSICAL  MYTHS. 

home  gods,  and  who,  according  to  tradition,  selected  the  first 
Vestal  Virgins. 

The  second  king  of  Rome,  Numa  Pompilius,  built  a  beautiful 
temple,  and  instituted  various  religious  ceremonies,  in  honor  of 
vestal  Vesta.  The  loveliest  and  noblest  among  the  Ro- 
virgins.  man  niaidens  were  chosen  to  serve  this  goddess, 
and  were  known  as  Vestals,  or  Vestal  Virgins.  Admitted  into 
the  temple  at  the  early  age  of  six,  they  were  compelled  to 
serve  ten  years  in  fitting  themselves  to  fulfill  the  duties  they 
would  be  called  upon  to  perform  during  the  next  decade  as 
priestesses  and  guardians  of  the  sacred  fire.  The  last  ten  years 
were  spent  in  instructing  the  novices ;  and,  when  their  thirty- 
years'  service  was  ended,  they  were  at  liberty  either  to  continue  in 
the  temple,  where  they  were  treated  with  the  greatest  respect, 
or  to  leave  it,  and  even  marry,  if  such  were  their  pleasure. 

During  their  time  of  servitude,  they  were  expected  to  keep  their 
vows  of  chastity  and  fidelity  to  their  patroness,  and  to  maintain 
her  sacred  fire,  under  penalty  of  being  buried  alive  in  a  vaulted 
chamber,  fashioned  for  this  express  purpose  by  Numa  Pompilius's 
order.  In  turn,  each  of  the  priestesses  watched  the  fire,  renewed 
the  fuel,  and  fanned  the  flame,  nor  lost  sight  of  it  night  or  day ; 
for  the  Romans  considered  the  extinction  of  this  sacred  flame 
the  precursor  of  some  great  public  calamity. 

The  Vestals  were,  however,  so  pure  and  vigilant,  that  during 
one  thousand  years  only  eighteen  failed  to  keep  their  vows 
satisfactorily,  and  suffered  punishment.  The  Vestal  Tuccia  was 
accused  of  breach  of  faith,  but,  as  proof  of  her  purity,  was 
given  power  to  carry  water  in  a  sieve  from  the  Tiber  to  the 
temple. 

In  return  for  the  signal  services  the  Vestals  rendered  to  the 
state  by  maintaining  this  sacred  fire,  they  enjoyed  many  privileges : 
among  others,  that  of  being  preceded  by  a  lictor  with  fasces  when 
they  walked  abroad ;  of  occupying  the  seats  of  honor  in  public 
ceremonies  and  festivities ;  of  being  buried  within  the  city  lim- 
its (a  privilege  granted  to  but  very  few) ;  and  of  obtaining  the 


THE  VESTAL  TUCCIA.—  Le  Roux.         (201) 


202  CLASSICAL   A1YTHS. 

pardon  of  criminals  whom  they  met  by  accident  on  their  way 
to  the  place  of  execution.  Loved  and  greatly  honored  by  all, 
the  Vestals  have  become  types  of  all  things  pure  and  lovely  in 
woman. 

"By  these  her  trembling  fires, 
Like  Vesta's,  ever  burning ;  and,  like  hers, 
Sacred  to  thoughts  immaculate  and  pure." 

YOUNG. 

The  Vestal  Virgins  were  further  distinguished  by  a  vesture  of 
pure  white  linen,  with  a  purple  border  and  a  wide  purple  mantle. 
In  time  of  war  or  danger  they  were  answerable  for  the  preserva- 
tion of  the  sacred  fire,  which  they  were  allowed  to  remove  to  any 
place  of  safety ;  and  on  several  occasions  they  therefore  carried 
it  out  of  Rome  and  down  the  Tiber,  lest  it  should  fall  into  the 
enemy's  hands. 

The  Vestals  continued  their  office  until  the  reign  of  Theodo- 
sius  the  Great,  who,  being  converted  to  Christianity  A.D.  380, 
abolished  the  worship  of  Vesta,  dispersed  the  Vestals,  and  extin- 
guished the  sacred  fire. 

Vesta's  services  were  held  with  great  pomp ;  and  her  festi- 
vals, the  Vestalia,  were  among  the  most  beautiful  and  popular  in 
Rome.  Statues  of  this  goddess — generally  repre- 
senting a  woman  of  majestic  beauty,  clad  in  long 
robes,  holding  a  lighted  torch  or  lamp  in  one  hand  and  a  votive 
bowl  in  the  other  —  were  carried  through  the  main  streets  of  the 
city  on  all  solemn  occasions. 

In  public  processions  the  Vestals  had  the  privilege  of  carrying 
their  sacred  fire ;  while  the  Roman  matrons,  glad  to  swell  their 
ranks,  followed  them,  barefooted,  chanting  the  praises  of  the 
good  goddess  Vesta. 

"And  from  the  temple  brings 
Dread  Vesta,  with  her  holy  things, 
Her  awful  fillets,  and  the  fire 
Whose  sacred  embers  ne'er  expire." 

VIRGIL  (Conington's  tr.). 


VESTA.  203 

On  these  occasions  great  banquets  were  prepared  before  each 
house,  all  daily  toil  was  suspended,  the  millstones  were  decked 
with  flowers,  and  the  very  asses  wont  to  turn  them  were  covered 
with  garlands  and  led  in  the  processions. 

Among  the  Romans,  Vesta  was  not  the  only  goddess  invoked 
on  the  family  hearth,  for  she  shared  that  place  of  honor  with  the 
Lares,  Manes,  and  Penates,  who  all  enjoyed  special  veneration 
and  sacrifices. 

The  Lares,  quite  unknown  to  the  Greeks,  were  two  in  num- 
ber, the  children  of  Mercury  and  Lara,  a  naiad  famous  for  her 
beauty  as  well  as  for  her  extreme  loquacity,  which    LareS)  Manes, 
no  one  could  check.     Tradition  relates  that  this     and  Penates- 
fair  maiden  talked  from  morning  till  night,  and  told  all  she  knew. 
Upon  one  occasion  she  incurred  Jupiter's  wrath  by  relating  to 
Juno  a  conversation  she  had  overheard  between  him  and  one  of 
his  numerous  ladyloves. 

To  punish  her,  and  at  the  same  time  prevent  further  tale-bear- 
ing, the  king  of  the  gods  cut  off  Lara's  tongue,  and,  summoning 
Mercury,  bade  him  lead  her  down  to  Hades  to  linger  there 
forever.  But  on  the  way  to  the  dismal  abode  of  the  dead,  the 
messenger  god  fell  in  love  with  his  fair  charge,  who,  being  now 
effectually  cured  of  her  sole  fault,  was  irresistibly  charming; 
and,  instead  of  obeying  Jupiter,  he  made  love  to  her,  and  by 
pantomime  obtained  her  consent  to  their  union.  She  bore  him 
two  children,  who  from  her  were  called  Lares,  and  to  whom 
the  Romans  always  paid  divine  honors,  reserving  special  places 
for  them  on  the  family  hearth,  for  they  were  supposed  to  preside 
over  houses  and  families.  Their  statues  resembled  monkeys 
covered  with  the  skins  of  dogs;  while  at  their  feet  a  barking 
dog,  the  symbol  of  their  care  and  vigilance,  was  always  repre- 
sented. 

The  Manes  —  a  name  generally  applied  to  souls  when  sepa- 
rated from  the  body — were  also  reckoned  among  the  Roman 
divinities,  and  the  illustrious  ancestors  of  different  families  were 
often  worshiped  under  this  name. 


204  CLASSICAL   MYTHS. 

As  for  the  Penates,  they  presided  over  the  houses  and  domes- 
tic affairs.  Each  head  of  a  household  was  wont  to  choose  his 
own  Penates,  whom  he  then  invoked  as  his  special  patrons.  The 
statues  of  the  Penates  were  of  clay,  wax,  ivory,  silver,  or  gold, 
according  to  the  wealth  of  the  family  whose  hearth  they  graced, 
and  the  offerings  generally  made  to  them  were  a  small  part  of 
each  meal. 

Upon  removing  from  one  house  to  another  or  from  one  place 
to  another,  it  was  customary  for  the  head  of  the  family  to  re- 
move his  household  gods  also,  and  establish  them  suitably  before 
he  thought  of  his  own  or  his  family's  comfort,  and  in  return  for 
this  kindly  care  the  Penates  blessed  him  with  peace  and  pros- 
perity. 


CHAPTER    XVI. 

JANUS. 

JANUS,  god  of  the  past,  present,  and  future,  of  gates,  entrances, 
war,  and  peace,  and  patron  of  all  beginnings,  although  one  of 
the  most  important  of  all  the  Roman  divinities,  was  entirely  un- 
known to  the  Greeks. 

According  to  some  mythologists,  he  was  the  son  of  Apollo ; 
and,  although  born  in  Thessaly,  he  early  in  life  came  to  Italy, 
where  he  founded  a  city  on  the  Tiber,  to  which  he  gave  the  name 
Janiculum.  Here  he  was  joined  by  the  exiled  Saturn,  with 
whom  he  generously  shared  his  throne.  Together  they  civilized 
the  wild  inhabitants  of  Italy,  and  blessed  them  with  such  pros- 
perity that  their  reign  has  often  been  called  the  Age  of  Gold. 

"  Saturn  fled  before  victorious  Jove, 
Driven  down  and  banish'd  from  the  realms  above. 
He,  by  just  laws,  embodied  all  the  train, 
Who  roam'd  the  hills,  and  drew  them  to  the  plain  ; 
There  fixed,  and  Latium  called  the  new  abode, 
Whose  friendly  shores  concealed  the  latent  god. 
These  realms,  in  peace,  the  monarch  long  controlled, 

And  blessed  the  nations  with  an  age  of  gold." 

VIRGIL  (C.  Pitt's  tr.). 

Janus  is  generally  represented  with  two  faces,  turned  in  oppo- 
site directions,  because  he   was  acquainted   with          janus1 
the  past  and  future  as  well  as  with  the  present,       two  faces- 
and  because   he  is  considered   an   emblem   of  the   sun,   which 
opens  the  day  at  its  rising,  and  closes  the  day  at  its  setting. 

205 


206  CLASSICAL   MYTHS. 

In  some  statues  he  is  represented  with  one  white-haired  and 
bearded  face,  and  the  other  quite  youthful  in  appearance,  while 
others  represent  him  with  three  and  even  four  heads. 

"  Janus  am  I ;  oldest  of  Potentates, 
Forward  I  look,  and  backward,  and  below. 
I  count,  as  god  of  entrances  and  gates, 
The  years  that  through  my  portals  come  and  go. 
I  block  the  roads  and  drift  the  fields  with  snow ; 
I  chase  the  wind-fowl  from  the  frozen  fen ; 
My  frosts  congeal  the  rivers  in  their  flow ; 
My  fires  light  up  the  hearths  and  hearts  of  men." 

BYRON. 

The  commencement  of  every  new  year,  month,  and  day  was 
held  sacred  to  Janus,  and  at  that  time  special  sacrifices  and 
prayers  were  offered  up  at  his  shrines.  He  also  presided  over 
all  gates  and  avenues,  and  through  him  alone  prayers  were  sup- 
posed to  reach  the  immortal  gods:  therefore  in  all  religious 
ceremonies  his  name  was  always  the  first  invoked.  From  this 
circumstance  he  often  appears  with  a  key  in  his  right  hand,  and  a 
rod  in  his  left ;  or,  when  he  presides  over  the  year,  he  holds  the 
number  300  in  one  hand,  and  65  in  the  other. 

He  was  also  supposed  to  watch  over  peace  and  war,  and  had 
numerous  temples  throughout  all  Italy.  One  very  celebrated 

•Worship  of  temple  was  called  Janus  Quadrifons,  because  it 
janus.  was  perfectly  square.  On  each  side  of  the  build- 
ing there  was  one  door  and  three  windows.  These  apertures 
were  all  symbolical,  —  the  doors  of  the  four  seasons,  and  the 
windows  of  the  twelve  months,  of  the  year. 

In  times  of  war  the  temple  gates  were  opened  wide,  for  the 
people,  being  in  need  of  aid  and  comfort,  were  all  anxious  to 
enter  and  present  their  offerings ;  but  when  peace  reigned,  the 
doors  were  immediately  closed,  for  the  god's  intercession  was  no 
longer  necessary.  The  Romans,  however,  were  such  a  belligerent 
people,  that  the  temple  gates  were  closed  but  thrice  in  more  than 
seven  centuries,  and  then  only  for  a  very  short  period. 


JANUS.  207 

Festivals  in  honor  of  Janus  were  celebrated  on  the  first  day 
of  the  new  year;  and  one  month  bore  the  god's  name,  and 
was  considered  sacred  to  him.  It  was  customary  for  friends  and 
relatives  to  exchange  calls,  good  wishes,  and  gifts  on  the  first 
day  of  this  month,  —  a  Roman  custom  in  force  to  this  day. 

Janus  is  not  the  only  one  among  the  Greek  and  Latin  divini- 
ties whose  name  has  been  given  to  a  part  of  the  year  or  week ; 
for  in  Latin  the  names  of  the  days  are  dies  Solis    Ancient  divis- 
(Sun   day),  dies  Luna  (Moon  day),  dies  Martis      ions  of  time. 
(Mars'  day),  dies  Mercurii  (Mercury's  day),  dies  Jovis  (Jove's  day), 
dies  Veneris  (Venus'  day),  dies  Saturni  (Saturn's  day) ;  which  Latin 
names  are  still  in  use  in  legislative  and  judiciary  acts,  while  in 
English  the  common  nomenclature  is  derived  from  the  names  of 
the  corresponding  Saxon  divinities. 


CHAPTER    XVII. 

SOMNUS      AND       MORS. 

AFTER  leaving  the  joyless  regions  of  Pluto's  realm,  and  fol- 
lowing the  even  course  of  the  Lethe  River,  the  ancients  fancied 
one  reached  a  large  cave  in  a  remote  and  quiet 

Cave  of  sleep. 

valley.  This  cave  was  the  dwelling  of  Somnus  (or 
Hupnos),  god  of  sleep,  and  of  his  twin  brother  Mors  (or  Thanatos), 
god  of  death ;  and  both  were  sons  of  the  Goddess  of  Night,  who 
had  once  ruled  the  whole  universe.  Near  the  entrance  of  the 
cave,  shadowy  forms  kept  constant  watch,  gently  shaking  great 
bunches  of  poppies,  and,  with  finger  to  lips,  enjoining  silence  on 
all  who  ventured  near.  These  forms  were  the  genii  of  sleep  and 
death,  represented  in  art  as  crowned  with  poppies  or  amaranths, 
and  sometimes  holding  a  funeral  urn  or  a  reversed  torch. 

The  cave  was  divided  into  chambers,  each  one  darker  and 

more  silent  than  the  one  which  preceded  it.     In  one  of  the  inner 

Somnus  and     rooms,  which  was  all  draped  with  sable  curtains, 

Morpheus.       stood  a  downy   couch,  upon  which  reclined  the 

monarch  of  sleep.     His  garments  were  also  black,  but  all  strewn 

with  golden  stars.     He  wore  a  crown  .of  poppies  on  his  head,  and 

held   a  goblet  full  of  poppy  juice   in  his  languid  hand.     His 

drowsy  head  was  supported  by  Morpheus,  his  prime  minister,  who 

watched  incessantly  over  his  prolonged  slumbers,  and  hindered 

any  one  from  troubling  his  repose. 

"  Deep  in  a  cavern  dwells  the  drowsy  god  : 
Whose  gloomy  mansion  nor  the  rising  sun, 
Nor  setting,  visits,  nor  the  lightsome  noon : 
208 


GENIUS   OF  DEATH.  — Canova. 
(Tomb  of  Clement  XIII.,  Vatican,  Rome.) 


(209) 


210  CLASSICAL  MYTHS. 

But  lazy  vapors  round  the  region  fly, 
Perpetual  twilight,  and  a  doubtful  sky ; 
No  crowing  cock  does  there  his  wings  display, 
Nor  with  his  horny  bill  provoke  the  day: 
Nor  watchful  dogs,  nor  the  more  wakeful  geese, 
Disturb  with  nightly  noise  the  sacred  peace  : 
Nor  beast  of  nature,  nor  the  tame,  are  nigh, 
Nor  trees  with  tempest  rock'd,  nor  human  cry; 
But  safe  repose,  without  an  air  of  breath, 
Dwells  here,  and  a  dumb  quiet  next  to  death. 

An  arm  of  Lethe,  with  a  gentle  flow, 
Arising  upwards  from  the  rock  below, 
The  palace  moats,  and  o'er  the  pebbles  creeps, 
And  with  soft  murmurs  calls  the  coming  sleeps; 
Around  its  entry  nodding  poppies  grow, 
And  all  cool  simples  that  sweet  rest  bestow; 
Night  from  the  plants  their  sleepy  virtue  drains, 
And  passing,  sheds  it  on  the  silent  plains : 
No  door  there  was  the  unguarded  house  to  keep, 
On  creaking  hinges  turn'd  to  break  his  sleep. 

But  in  the  gloomy  court  was  rais'd  a  bed, 
Stuft'd  with  black  plumes,  and  on  an  ebon  sted  : 
Black  was  the  covering  too,  where  lay  the  god, 
And  slept  supine,  his  limbs  display'd  abroad. 
About  his  head  fantastic  visions  fly, 
Which  various  images  of  things  supply, 
And  mock  their  forms ;  the  leaves  on  trees  not  more, 
Nor  bearded  ears  in  fields,  nor  sands  upon  the  shore." 

OVID  (Dryden's  tr.). 

All  around  the  bed  and  over  it  hovered  throngs  of  exquisite 

spirits,  the  Dreams,  who  stooped  to  whisper  their  pleasant  mes- 

Dreamsand      sages  in  his  ear;   while  in  the  distant  corners  of 

Nightmares,     ^g    apartment   lurked   the    hideous    Nightmares. 

The  Dreams  were  often  dispatched  to  earth  under  Mercury's 

charge,  to  visit  mortals. 

Two  gates  led  out  of  the  valley  of  sleep,  —  one  of  ivory,  and 
the  other  of  horn.  The  Dreams  which  passed  through  the  glit- 
tering gates  of  ivory  were  delusive,  while  those  which  passed 


.V  ,I.Y/>   MOXS.  211 

through  the  homely  gate  of  horn  were  destined  to  come  true  in 
the  course  of  time. 

"Of  dreams,  O  stranger,  some  are  meaningless 
And  idle,  and  can  never  be  fulfilled. 
Two  portals  are  there  for  their  shadowy  shapes, 
Of  ivory  one,  and  one  of  horn.     The  dreams 
That  come  through  the  carved  ivory  deceive 
With  promises  that  never  are  made  good ; 
But  those  which  pass  the  doors  of  polished  horn, 
And  are  beheld  of  men,  are  ever  true." 

HOMER  (Bryant's  tr.). 

Dreams  were  also  frequently  sent  through  the  gates  of  horn 
to  prepare  mortals  for  misfortunes,  as  in  the  case  of  Halcyone. 

Ceyx,  King  of  Thessaly,  was  once  forced  to  part  from  his  be- 
loved wife,  Halcyone,  to  travel  off  to  Delphi  to  consult  the  oracle. 
With  many  tears  this  loving  couple  parted,  and    story  of  Ceyx 
Halcyone  watched  the  lessening  sail  until  it  had    and  Halcyone. 
quite  vanished  from  sight ;   then  she  returned  to  her  palace  to 
pray  for  her  husband's  safe   return.     But,  alas!    the  gods  had 
decreed  they  should  never  meet  again  on  earth ;   and,  even  while 
Halcyone  prayed,  a  tempest  arose  which  wrecked  Ceyx's  vessel, 
and  caused  him  and  all  his  crew  to  perish  in  the  seething  waves. 

Day  after  day  the  queen  hastened  down  to  the  seashore,  fol- 
lowed by  her  attendants,  to  watch  for  the  returning  sails  of  her 
husband's  vessel ;  and  night  after  night  she  lay  on  her  couch, 
anxiously  expecting  the  morrow,  which  she  ever  fancied  would 
prove  auspicious.  The  gods,  seeing  her  anxiety,  and  wishing  to 
prepare  her  to  receive  the  news  of  his  death,  and  especially  to 
view  with  some  composure  his  corpse,  which  they  had  decided 
should  be  washed  ashore,  sent  a  Dream  to  visit  her. 

After  assuming  the  face  and  form  of  Ceyx,  the  Dream  glided 
away  through  the  gate  of  horn,  hastened  to  Halcyone's  bedside, 
and  whispered  that  her  husband  was  dead,  and  that  his  body  was 
even  now  being  cast  up  on  the  smooth,  sandy  beach  by  the  salt 
sea  waves.  With  a  wild  cry  of  terror  and  grief,  Halcyone  awoke, 


212  CLASSICAL  MYTHS. 

and  hastened  to  the  seashore  to  convince  herself  that  the  dream 
had  been  false ;  but  she  had  no  sooner  reached  the  beach,  than 
the  waves  washed  her  husband's  corpse  to  her  feet. 

To  endure  life  without  him  seemed  too  great  a  task  for  poor 
Halcyone,  who  immediately  cast  herself  into  the  sea,  to  perish 
beside  him.  Touched  by  grief  so  real  and  intense,  the  gods 
changed  both  bodies  into  birds,  since  known  as  Halcyon  birds, 
and  decreed  they  should  ever  live  on  the  waters.  These  birds 
were  said  to  build  their  nests  and  hatch  their  young  on  the  heav- 
ing billows,  and  to  utter  shrill  cries  of  warning  to  the  seamen 
whenever  a  storm  threatened,  bidding  them  prepare  for  the  blast, 
and  hasten  to  shelter  in  port,  if  they  would  not  encounter  the 
mournful  fate  of  poor  Ceyx. 

Mors,  god  of  death,  occupied  one  of  the  corners  of  Somnus' 

cave.     He  was  a  hideous,  cadaverous-looking  deity,  clad  in  a 

winding  sheet,  and  held  an  hourglass  and  a  scythe 

Mors. 

in  his  hand.  His  hollow  eyes  were  fixed  upon 
the  sands  of  time ;  and  when  they  had  run  out,  he  knew  some 
life  was  about  to  end,  and  sallied  forth,  scythe  in  hand,  to  mow 
down  his  prey  with  relentless  joy. 

Needless  to  say,  this  cruel  deity  was  viewed  by  the  ancients 
with  fear  and  dislike,  and  no  homage  was  offered  him. 

These  two  divinities  were,  however,  but  of  slight  importance 
in  the  general  scheme  of  ancient  mythology,  in  which  Proserpina 
was  generally  regarded  as  the  emblem  of  death,  and  they  were 
therefore  more  like  local  divinities.  The  Lacedaemonians  paid 
the  most  heed  to  them,  and  .invariably  placed  their  statues  side 
by  side. 

As  for  Morpheus,  the  son  as  well  as  the  prime  minister  of 
Somnus,  he  was  also  called  the  god  of  sleep,  and  mortals  were 

wont  to  intercede  for  his  good  offices.     He  is  gen- 
Morpheus.  .  ,.,!,- 

erally  represented  as  a  sleeping  child  of  great  cor- 
pulence, and  with  wings.  Morpheus  held  a  vase  in  one  hand, 
and  poppies  in  the  other,  which  he  gently  shook  to  induce  a 
state  of  drowsiness,  —  according  to  him,  the  acme  of  bliss. 


CHAPTER    XVIII. 

jEOLUS. 

NOT  very  far  away  from  the  quiet  realm  of  Somnus  and  Mors, 
but  on  the  surface  of  the  earth,  were  the  ^Eolian  Islands,  now 
known  as  the  Lipari  Islands,  where  ^Eolus,  god  of  the  storm  and 
winds,  governed  a  very  unruly  and  turbulent  population. 

He  is  said  to  have  received  his  royal  dignity  from  the  fair 
hands  of  Juno,  and  he  was  therefore  specially  eager  to  obey  all 
her  behests.      He  is  commonly  reputed  to  have         jEoius' 
married  Aurora,  or  Eos,  who  gave  him  six  sons  :         children. 
i.e.,  Boreas,  the  north  wind  ;  Corus,  the  northwest  wind  ;  Aquilo, 
the  west  wind  ;   Notus,   the    southwest  wind  ;    Eurus,   the  east 
wind  ;  and  lastly,  Zephyrus,  the  gentle  and  lovable  south  wind, 
whose  mission  it  was  to  announce  to  mortals  the  return  of  ever- 
welcome  spring. 

yEolus*  five  elder  sons  were  of  a  noisy,  roving,  mischievous, 
turbulent  disposition,  and  peace  and  quiet  were  utterly  impossible 
to  them.  To  prevent  their  causing  serious  disasters,  he  therefore 
ruled  them  with  a  very  strict  hand,  kept  them  very  closely  con- 
fined in  a  great  cave,  and  let  them  loose  only  one  at  a  time,  to 
stretch  their  limbs  and  take  a  little  exercise. 


in  a  cavern  vast 

With  bolt  and  barrier  fetters  fast 
Rebellious  storm  and  howling  blast. 
They  with  the  rock's  reverberant  roar 
Chafe  blustering  round  their  prison  door: 
He,  throned  on  high,  the  scepter  sways, 
Controls  their  moods;  their  wrath  allays." 

VIRGIL  (Conington's  tr.). 
I4  2I3 


214  CLASSICAL   A1YTHS. 

Although  very  unruly  indeed,  the  winds  always  obeyed  their 
father's  voice,  and  at  his  command,  however  reluctant,  returned 
to  their  gloomy  prison,  where  they  expended  their  impotent  rage 
in  trying  to  shake  its  strong  walls. 

According  to  his  own  mood,  or  in  conformity  with  the  gods' 
request,  vEolus  either  sent  the  gentler  winds  to  play  among  the 
flowers,  or,  recalling  them,  let  the  fiercest  of  all  his  children  free, 
with  orders  to  pile  up  the  waves  mountain-high,  lash  them  to 
foam,  tear  the  sails  of  all  the  vessels  at  sea,  break  their  masts, 
uproot  the  trees,  tear  the  roofs  off  the  houses,  etc.,  —  in  short,  to 
do  all  the  harm  they  possibly  could. 

"  Now  rising  all  at  once,  and  unconfin'd, 
From  every  quarter  roars  the  rushing  wind: 
First,  from  the  wide  Atlantic  Ocean's  bed, 
Tempestuous  Corus  rears  his  dreadful  head, 
Th'  obedient  deep  his  potent  breath  controls, 
And,  mountain-high,  the  foamy  flood  he  rolls  ; 
Him  the  Northeast  encountering  fierce,  defied, 
And  back  rebuffeted  the  yielding  tide. 
The  curling  surges  loud  conflicting  meet, 
Dash  their  proud  heads,  and  bellow  as  they  beat; 
While  piercing  Boreas,  from  the  Scythian  strand, 
Plows  up  the  waves  and  scoops  the  lowest  sand. 
Nor  Eurus  then,  I  ween,  was  left  to  dwell, 
Nor  showery  Notus  in  th'  ALolian  cell, 
But  each  from  every  side,  his  power  to  boast, 
Ranged  his  proud  forces  to  defend  the  coast." 

LUCAN. 

^Eolus,  king  of  the  winds,  shared  with  Daedalus  the  honor  of 
inventing  the  sails  which  propel  the  ships  so  swiftly  over  the  tide. 
It  was  he,  too,  who,  according  to  Homer,  bound  all  his  children 
but  one  in  a  leather  bag,  which  he  gave  to  Ulysses  when  the  lat- 
ter visited  JEolia..  Thanks  to  this  gift,  Ulysses  reached  the  shores 
of  Ithaca,  and  would  have  landed  in  safety,  had  not  his  men,  in 
view  of  port,  untied  the  sack  to  investigate  its  contents,  and  thus 


POLL'S.  215 

set  free  the  angry  winds,  who  stirred  up  the  most  frightful  tem- 
pest in  mythic  annals. 

The  ancients,  and  especially  the  Athenians,  paid  particular  at- 
tention to  the  winds,  to  whom  they  dedicated  a  temple,  which  is 
still  extant,  and  generally  known  as  the  Tower  of       Temple  of 
the  Winds,  or  the  Temple  of  yEolus.    This  temple         «oius. 
is  hexagonal,  and  on  each  side  a  flying  figure  of  one  of  the 
winds  is  represented. 

Eurus,  the  east  wind,  was  generally  depicted  "  as  a  young  man 
flying  with  great  impetuosity,  and  often  appearing  in  a  play- 
ful and  wanton  humor."  Notus,  or  Auster,  the  southwest  wind, 
"  appeared  generally  as  an  old  man,  with  gray  hair,  a  gloomy 
countenance,  a  head  covered  with  clouds,  a  sable  vesture,  and 
dusky  wings,"  for  he  was  considered  the  dispenser  of  rain  and 
of  all  sudden  and  heavy  showers.  Zephyrus,  mild  and  gentle, 
had  a  lapful  of  flowers,  and,  according  t»  the  Athenian  belief,  was 
wedded  to  Flora,  with  whom  he  was  perfectly  happy,  and  visited 
every  land  in  turn.  Corus,  the  northwest  wind,  drove  clouds 
of  snow  before  him  ;  while  Aquilo,  dreadful  in  appearance,  fairly 
caused  cold  shivers  to  run  down  one's  back  at  his  mere  sight. 
Boreas,  rough  and  shivering  too,  was  the  father  of  rain,  snow, 
hail,  and  tempests,  and  was  therefore  generally  represented  as 
veiled  in  impenetrable  clouds.  His  favorite  place  of  abode  was 
in  the  Hyperborean  Mountains,  from  whence  he  sallied  forth 
on  wild  raids.  During  one  of  these  excursions  he  carried  off 
Orithyia,  who  always  fled  at  his  approach.  But  all  her  fleetness 
could  not  save  her :  she  was  overtaken,  and  borne  away  to  the 
inaccessible  regions  of  snow  and  ice,  where  he  detained  her,  and 
made  her  his  wife.  She  became  the  mother  of  Zetes  and  Calais, — 
who  took  part  in  the  Argonautic  expedition,  and  drove  away  the 
Harpies  (p.  267),  —  and  of  two  daughters,  Cleopatra  and  Chione. 

On  another  occasion,  Boreas,  having  changed  himself  into  a 
horse  and  united  himself  to  the  mares  of  Dardanus,  King  of  Troy, 
became  the  father  of  twelve  steeds  so  swift  that  none  could 
overtake  them. 


CHAPTER    XIX. 

HERCULES. 

"  Unto  this  thy  son  it  shall  be  given, 
With  his  broad  heart  to  win  his  way  to  heaven ; 
Twelve  labors  shall  he  work;  and  all  accurst 
And  brutal  things  o'erthrow,  brute  men  the  worst; 
And  in  Trachinia  shall  the  funeral  pyre 
Purge  his  mortalities  away  with  fire ; 
And  he  shall  mounfc  amid  the  stars,  and  be 
Acknowledg'd  kin  to  those  who  envied  thee, 
And  sent  these  den-born  shapes  to  crush  his  destiny." 

THEOCRITUS  (Hunt's  tr.). 

THE  ancients  were  not  content  to  worship  the  gods  only,  but 
also  offered  up  sacrifices  to  a  few  mortals,  who,  by  their  heroic 
deeds  and  virtuous  lives,  had  won  both  admiration  and  respect. 
Foremost  among  these  heroes  —  generally  designated  by  the  title 
of  demigods  —  is  Hercules  (Heracles,  Alcides),  son  of  Jupiter 
and  Alcmene,  a  mortal  princess. 

As  soon  as  the  tidings  of  Hercules'  birth  reached  Olympus, 
Juno  began  to  plot  how  to  destroy  her  rival's  child.  Two  colossal 
juno  persecutes  serpents  with  poisonous  fangs  were  therefore  dis- 

Hercuies.  patched  by  her  orders  to  attack  the  babe  in  its  cra- 
dle. The  monsters  crept  along  noiselessly,  entered  the  palace  un- 
seen, twined  themselves  around  the  cradle,  and  were  about  to  crush 
the  child  to  death  in  their  folds,  when,  to  the  utter  astonishment 
of  the  helpless  attendants,  little  Hercules  caught  them  fast  by  the 
neck  in  each  tiny  hand  and  strangled  them,  thus  giving  the  first 
proof  of  the  marvelous  strength  which  was  to  make  him  famous. 

216 


HERCULES  AN   INFANT. 
(  Louvre,  Paris.) 


(217) 


218  CLASSICAL   MYTHS. 

"  First  two  dread  Snakes  at  Juno's  vengeful  nod 
Climb'd  round  the  cradle  of  the  sleeping  God ; 
Waked  by  the  shrilling  hiss,  and  rustling  sound, 
And  shrieks  of  fair  attendants  trembling  round, 
Their  gasping  throats  with  clenching  hands  he  holds ; 
And  Death  untwists  their  convoluted  folds." 

DARWIN. 

When  Juno  perceived  how  easily  Hercules  had  escaped  from 
the  danger  which  threatened  him,  she  deemed  it  useless  to  make 
another  attempt  to  take  his  life,  but  decided  to  vex  his  proud 
spirit  by  inflicting  many  petty  annoyances,  and  to  prevent  his 
enjoying  any  lasting  peace  or  happiness. 

To  achieve  this  purpose,  she  first  extorted  from  Jupiter  a  de- 
cree that  condemned  Hercules  to  serve  his  cousin  Eurystheus  — 
a  mean  and  cowardly  prince  who  ruled  over  the  kingdom  of 
Argos  —  for  a  certain  number  of  years. 

Hercules'  education  was  carefully  attended  to  by  Chiron,  a 
learned  Centaur,  who  taught  him  how  to  use  all  the  different 
weapons,  and  trained  him  in  all  kinds  of  athletic  sports.  The 
years  passed  by  happily  and  swiftly,  until  at  last  the  time  came 
when  Hercules'  education  was  completed,  and  the  whole  world 
lay  before  him,  full  of  pleasant  possibilities,  and  rich  with  many 
attractions. 

The  youthful  hero,  dismissed  by  his  instructor,  now  set  out  to 
seek  his  fortunes.  He  had  not  gone  very  far,  however,  before  he 

Hercules'       met  two  beautiful  women,  who  immediately  entered 

choice.         jnto  conversation  with  him,  and  drew  from  him  a 

confession  that  he  was  in  search  of  adventures.     The  women, 

Arete  (Virtue)  and  Kakia  (Vice),  each  offered  to  be  his  guide, 

but  bade  him  choose  which  he  preferred  to  follow. 

Kakia,  to  induce  him  to  follow  her  guidance,  promised  riches, 
ease,  consideration,  and  love ;  while  Arete,  a  modest  maiden, 
warned  him  that  in  her  wake  he  would  be  obliged  to  wage  in- 
cessant war  against  evil,  to  endure  hardships  without  number, 
and  spend  his  days  in  toil  and  poverty. 


HERCULES.  219 

Silently  Hercules  pondered  for  a  while  over  these  two  so  dis- 
similar offers,  and  then,  mindful  of  his  tutor's  oft-repeated  in- 
structions, rose  from  his  seat  by  the  wayside,  and,  turning  to 
Arete,  declared  himself  ready  to  obey  any  command  she  might 
choose  to  give  him. 

"  Young  Hercules  with  firm  disdain 
Braved  the  soft  smiles  of  Pleasure's  harlot  train ; 
To  valiant  toils  his  forceful  limbs  assign'd, 
And  gave  to  Virtue  all  his  mighty  mind." 

DARWIN. 

Courageously  he  then  trod  along  the  rough  and  thorny  path 
she  pointed  out,  and  patiently  performed  the  various  tasks  she 
assigned  him,  delivering  the  oppressed,  defending  the  weak,  and 
redressing  all  wrongs. 

In  reward  for  these  good  actions  he  received  the  hand  of 
Megara,  daughter  of  Creon,  King  of  Thebes,  in  marriage,  and 
by  her  had  three  children,  whom  he  tenderly  loved.        Hercules' 
But  Juno  was  not  at  all  satisfied  to  see  him  lead-        madness, 
ing  such  a  peaceful  and  prosperous  life,  and  to  interrupt  its  even 
course  drove  the  hero  mad. 

In  a  fit  of  delirium  he  threw  his  offspring  into  the  fire,  and, 
we  are  told,  slew  his  dearly  beloved  wife.  Then  only  he  re- 
covered his  senses,  and  suffered  agonies  of  sorrow  and  remorse 
for  the  terrible  crimes  he  had  unwittingly  committed.  In  his 
grief  he  withdrew  to  the  mountain  solitudes,  where  he  would  prob- 
ably have  lingered  all  the  remainder  of  his  life,  had  not  Mercury 
come  to  get  him,  and  announced  that  he  was  to  serve  Eurystheus, 
King  of  Argos,  for  a  twelvemonth. 

The  messenger  god  then  offered  to  lead  him  to  his  appointed 
taskmaster.     But   when   Hercules   learned   he  was  doomed  to 
be  a  slave,  he  fell    into  such  a  passion,   that  he      Hercules  in 
nearly  lost  his  reason  again  ;  and  instead  of  killing       servitude, 
noxious  beasts,  and  winning  the  people's  blessings  by  his  deeds 
of  kindness,  he  wandered  about  stupidly  and  aimlessly,  until  he 
finally  perceived  how  vain  was  his  attempt  to  struggle  against 


220  CLASSICAL  M,YTHS. 

fate,  and  urged  by  his  chosen  adviser,  Arete,  voluntarily  offered 
his  services  to  Eurystheus,  who  informed  him  that  he  must  ac- 
complish twelve  great  labors  ere  he  could  again  be  free. 

Eager  to  begin  the  appointed  tasks,  Hercules  set  out  first  to 

find  and  destroy  a  monstrous  lion,  whose  den  was  in  the  Nemean 

Forest.    Far  and  wide,  throughout  the  whole  neigh- 

Nemean  lion.  . 

borhood,  this  monster  committed  his  depredations, 
carrying  off  cattle  and  sheep,  men,  women,  and  children,  to  devour 
at  his  ease.  All  warned  Hercules  of  the  danger  and  difficulty 
of  the  undertaking,  described  the  failure  of  countless  previous 
attempts  to  slay  the  monster,  and  prophesied  that  he  would  never 
return  alive.  The  hero  would  not  be  dissuaded,  but  entered  the 
forest,  tracked  the  lion  to  his  den,  grasped  him  by  the  throat,  and 
strangled  him  as  he  had  strangled  the  snakes  in  his  infancy. 
He  then  skinned  the  monster,  whose  shaggy  pelt  became  his 
favorite  covering. 

"  So  from  Nemea's  den  Alcides  strode, 
The  lion's  yellow  spoil  around  his  shoulders  flow'd." 

FLACCUS  (Elton's  tr.). 

On  his  return  to  Argos  to  report  the  successful  termination  of 
his  first  task,  Hercules  was  told  to  repair  to  the  marshes  of 

Hydra  of  Lerna,  where  lurked  a  seven-headed  serpent,  the 
Lerna.  Hydra,  and  put  an  end  to  its  career  of  rapacity, 
for  this  snake  devoured  man  and  beast.  Armed  with  a  great 
sword,  Hercules  succeeded  in  cutting  off  one  of  the  seven  heads  ; 
but  he  had  no  sooner  done  so,  than,  to  his  dismay,  he  saw 
seven  other  heads  suddenly  spring  from  the  bleeding  stump. 
To  prevent  a  repetition  of  this  unpleasant  miracle,  Hercules 
bade  his  friend  lolaus,  who  had  accompanied  him  thither  to 
view  his  prowess,  take  a  lighted  brand  and  sear  the  wounds  as 
soon  as  inflicted.  .  Thanks  to  this  wise  plan,  the  monster  was 
finally  slain,  although  a  friendly  crab  sent  by  Juno  to  defend 
him  continually  pinched  Hercules'  feet.  The  hero,  angry  at 
this  intervention,  crushed  the  crab,  who,  however,  received  his 


HERCULES.  221 

reward,  for  the  Queen  of  Heaven  placed  him  in  the  sky  as 
the  constellation  of  Cancer  (the  Crab).  The  country  was  thus 
freed  from  its  long  state  of  thraldom ;  but,  before  leaving  the 
scene  of  his  second  labor,  Hercules  dipped  his  arrows  in  the 
Hydra's  venomous  blood,  knowing  well  that  any  wound  they 
inflicted,  however  slight,  would  be  sure  to  prove  fatal. 

The  third  task  appointed  by  Eurystheus  was  the  capture  of 
the  golden-horned,  brazen-footed  stag  of  Cerynea,  whose  fleet- 
ness  was  such   that  it  seemed  scarcely  to  touch         stag  of 
the  ground.     Hercules  was  obliged  to  pursue  this        Cerynea. 
animal  for  many  a  weary  mile  before  he  could  overtake  it ;   and 
he  only  managed  the  capture  by  driving  it  into  a  deep  snow- 
drift, in  a  distant  northern  land,  from  which  he  extricated  it,  and 
carried  it  home  in  triumph. 

The  same  success  crowned  his  fourth  labor,  the  capture  of  the 
wild  boar  of  Erymanthus  in  Arcadia.     Attacked  by  the  Cen- 
taurs during  the  performance  of  this  labor,  Her-     Erymanthian 
cules  turned  his  deadly  arrows  upon  them,  and  ac-  boar- 

cidentally  wounded  his  beloved  tutor  Chiron,  who  was  coming  to 
settle  the  dispute.  Vainly  the  hero  applied  every  healing  herb. 
The  wound  was  mortal,  and  Chiron  died ;  but  in  reward  for  his 
good  offices  the  gods  transferred  him  to  the  sky,  where  he  is 
known  as  the  constellation  Sagittarius. 

Hercules  was  next  sent  to  Augeas,  King  of  Elis,  who  had  im- 
mense droves  of  cattle.     The  stables  usually  occupied  by  these 
animals  were  in  an  incredibly  filthy  state,  as  they         Augean 
had  not  been  cleaned  in  years ;  and  now  Hercules         stables, 
was  given  the  task  to  remove  the  accumulated  dung,  and  make  a 
complete  purification  of  the  premises. 

Close  by  these  stables  rushed  a  torrent,  or  rather  a  river,  the 
Alpheus.  Hercules,  with  one  glance,  saw  the  use  he  could  make 
of  this  rushing  stream,  which  he  dammed  and  turned  aside  from 
its  course,  so  that  the  waters  passed  directly  through  the  stables, 
carrying  away  all  impurities,  and  finally  washing  them  perfectly 
clean. 


(222) 


HERCULES  AND  CENTAUR.— Bologna. 
(  Florence.) 


HERCULES.  223 

"  Nothing  else 
Could  clean  the  Augean  stables." 

WORDSWORTH. 

When  Hercules  saw  that  the  work  of  purification  was  thor- 
oughly accomplished,  he  guided  the  stream  back  to  its  origi- 
nal bed,  and  returned  home  to  announce  that  the  fifth  labor  was 
accomplished.  The  fabulous  filth  of  the  Augean  stables,  and  the 
radical  methods  employed  for  their  cleansing,  have  given  rise  to 
proverbial  expressions  still  in  current  use. 

Hercules  next  journeyed  off  to  Crete  to  accomplish  his  sixth 
task,  the  capture  of  a  mad  bull  given  by  Neptune  to  Minos, 
king  of  the  island.  The  god  had  sent  the  ani- 

Cretan  bull. 

mal  with  directions  that  he  should  be  offered  up 
in   sacrifice ;    but   Minos,   charmed  with   his  unusual   size  and 
beauty,  resolved  to  keep  him,  and  substituted  a  bull  from  his  own 
herds  for  the  religious  ceremony. 

Angry  at  seeing  his  express  command  so  wantonly  disobeyed, 
Neptune  maddened  the  bull,  who  rushed  wildly  all  over  the  island, 
causing  great  damage.  This  was  the  animal  whom  Hercules, 
with  his  usual  strength  and  skill,  caught  and  bound  fast,  thus 
finishing  the  sixth  tas*k. 

He  then  hastened  on  to  Thrace,  where  Diomedes,  the  king, 
kept  some  fine  coursers,  who  were  fed  on  human  flesh.     In  order 
to  obtain  a  sufficient  supply  of  fresh  meat  for  his       Diomedes' 
horses,   Diomedes  had  decreed  that  all  strangers 
who  ventured  into   his  kingdom   should  be  seized,  and,  when 
sufficiently  fat,  executed,  and  served  up  in  his  horses'  mangers. 
To  punish  Diomedes  for  this  long-continued  barbarity,  Hercules 
fed  him  to  his  own  horses,  which  were  then  led  off  to  Eurystheus, 
as  a  token  that  the  seventh  labor  was  done. 

Now,  at  the  court  of  Kurystheus  was  his  beautiful  daughter, 
Admete,  a  vain  princess,  who  delighted  in  dress  and  jewels,  and 
who  was  never  happier  than  when  she  obtained      Hippoiyte's 
some  new  ornament  or  article  of  apparel.    One  day          girdle. 
Admete  heard  a  traveler  describe  a  girdle  worn  by  Hippolyte, 


224  CLASSICAL   MYTHS. 

queen  of  the  Amazons,  and  was  immediately  seized  by  the  desire 
to  possess  the  ornament. 

She  imparted  this  wish  to  Eurystheus,  who,  delighted  to  gratify 
her  as  long  as  he  could  do  so  without  taking  any  personal  risk 
or  trouble,  sent  Hercules  in  quest  of  the  coveted  jewel.  The 
journey  to  the  land  of  the  Amazons — a  fierce,  warlike  nation 
of  women — was  long  and  dangerous;  but  Hercules  traveled  on 
undaunted,  nor  paused,  except  when  his  services  were  needed  in 
furthering  some  good  work  for  mortals,  until  he  reached  their 
land,  presented  himself  before  their  queen,  and  boldly  explained 
the  cause  of  his  presence.  Hippo.lyte  listened  to  his  explanation 
and  request  with  queenly  condescension,  promised  to  consider 
the  matter,  and  in  the  mean  while  bade  him  feast  and  rest  in  her 
palace. 

Hercules  would  have  succeeded  in  this  undertaking  without 
any  trouble,  had  not  Juno  suddenly  remembered  his  existence, 
and  resolved  to  continue  her  never  entirely  forgotten  persecu- 
tions. In  the  guise  of  an  Amazon,  she  mingled  among  the  women, 
and  artfully  spread  the  report  that  Hercules  had  really  come  to 
kidnap  their  queen,  and  that  the  pretended  quest  of  the  girdle 
was  a  mere  excuse,  and  only  intended  to  distract  their  attention 
from  his  real  purpose.  The  Amazons  yielded  implicit  belief  to 
these  rumors,  flew  to  arms,  and  surrounded  their  queen. 

"  The  Amazons  array  their  ranks, 
In  painted  arms  of  radiant  sheen 
Around  Hippolyte  the  queen." 

VIRGIL  (Conington's  tr.). 

The  assembled  force  then  attacked  Hercules,  who  met  their 
onslaught  single-handed,  defeated  them,  and  finally  bore  away 
the  prize  he  had  risked  so  much  to  obtain.  It  was  on  his  home- 
ward journey  from  this  expedition  that  he  saved  Hesione,  Laom- 
edon's  daughter,  from  the  jaws  of  the  sea  monster  who  was  about 
to  devour  her,  as  he  had  devoured  many  a  fair  Trojan  maid 
before  her  (p.  152). 


(235) 


226  CLASSICAL  MYTHS. 

Eurystheus,  well  pleased  with  the  manner  in  which  Hercules 

had  accomplished  eight  out  of  the  twelve  tasks,  bade  him  now  go 

Stymphaiian     forth  and  slay  the  dangerous,  brazen-clawed  birds 

birds.          which  hovered  over  the  stagnant  waters  of  Lake 

Stymphalus.      The   poisoned  arrows  now  served  him  in  good 

stead,  and  enabled  him  to  put  a  speedy  end  to  the  whole  flock. 

"His  arrows  slew 
The  monsters  hov'ring  fell  Stymphalus  round." 

CATULLUS. 

Hercules  was  next  told  to  capture  the  divine  cattle  of  Gery- 
ones,  a  giant  of  Erythea.  On  his  way  home  with  this  marvelous 

Cattle  of        herd,  Hercules  paused  on  Mount  Aventine,  where, 

Geryones.  during  the  night,  the  loathsome  giant  Cacus  stole 
some  of  his  cows.  To  punish  him  for  this  theft,  Hereules  forced 
his  way  into  his  cave,  attacked  him,  and,  after  a  memorable  en- 
counter, slew  him.  The  animals  were  soon  after  delivered  into 
the  hands  of  Eurystheus,  who  then  sent  Hercules  in  search  of 
the  Golden  Apples  of  the  Hesperides. 

This  commission  sadly  perplexed  Hercules,  for  he  did  not  know 
in  what  portion  of  the  world  he  would  find  these  apples,  which  had 

Hesperian  been  given  to  Juno  as  a  wedding  present,  and  which 
apples.  g^g  jia(j  intrusted  to  the  care  of  the  Hesperides, 
daughters  of  Hesperus,  god  of  the  West.  After  numerous  journeys 
and  many  inquiries,  Hercules  discovered  that  these  maidens  had 
carried  these  apples  off  to  Africa,  hung  them  on  a  tree  in  their 
garden,  and  placed  the  dragon  Ladon  at  its  foot  to  guard  their 
treasures  night  and  day.  Unfortunately,  no  one  could  tell  Her- 
cules in  what  part  of  Africa  the  garden  of  the  Hesperides  might 
be  situated:  so  he  set  out  at  a  venture,  determined  to  travel 
about  until  he  gained  some  information.  On  his  way  he  met 
with  many  adventures,  and  saw  many  strange  sights.  For  in- 
stance, he  first  met  the  nymphs  of  the  Eridanus  River,  and, 
questioning  them  about  the  golden  apples,  was  told  to  consult 
old  Nereus,  god  of  the  sea,  who  would  probably  be  able  to  give 
him  some  information  on  the  subject. 


HERCULES.  227 

Hercules,  having  surprised  this  aged  divinity  while  asleep  on 
the  seashore,  held  him  fast,  in  spite  of  the  multitudinous  trans- 
formations he  underwent  in  the  vain  hope  of  frightening  his 
would-be  interlocutor  away.  In  answer  to  Hercules'  question,  he 
finally  very  reluctantly  bade  him  seek  Prometheus,  who  alone 
would  be  able  to  direct  him  aright. 

In  obedience  to  this  advice,  Hercules  went  to  the  Caucasian 
Mountains,  where,  on  the  brink  of  a  mighty  precipice,  he  found 
Prometheus,  still  bound  with  adamantine  chains,  and  still  a  prey 
to  the  ravenous  vulture  (p.  28).  To  spring  up  the  mountain  side, 
kill  the  cruel  bird,  snap  the  adamantine  chains,  and  set  the  bene- 
factor of  all  mankind  free,  was  the  work  of  but  a  few  minutes  for 
such  a  hero  as  Hercules ;  and,  in  gratitude  for  the  deliverance  he 
had  so  long  sought  in  vain,  Prometheus  directed  Hercules  to 
his  brother  Atlas,  telling  him  he  would  be  sure  to  know  where 
the  apples  could  be  found. 

Hercules  wended  his  way  to  Africa,  where  Atlas  dwelt,  and 
on  his  way  passed  through  the  land  of  a  diminutive  race  of  men, 
called  Pygmies,  who  were  so  small  that  they  lived 
in  constant    dread   of  their  neighbors,   so   much 
larger  and  stronger  than  they,  and  of  the  cranes,  which  passed 
over  their  country  in  great  flocks,  and  sometimes  alighted  to  de- 
vour their  harvests. 

To  guard  against  these  constant  inroads,  the  Pygmies  finally 
accepted  the  services  of  Antaeus,  a  giant  son  of  Gaea,  who  gen- 
erously offered  to  defend  them  against  all  their  enemies.  When 
these  little  people,  therefore,  saw  Hercules'  mighty  form  looming 
up  in  the  dim  distance,  they  called  aloud  for  fear,  and  bade 
Antaeus  go  forth  and  kill  the  new  invader,  who,  they  wrongly 
fancied,  had  evil  designs  against  them. 

Proud  of  his  strength,  Antaeus  went  to  meet  Hercules,  and  de- 
fied him.  A  fierce  struggle  was  the  immediate  result  of  this  chal- 
lenge, and,  as  the  combatants  were  of  equal  size  and  strength, 
the  victory  seemed  very  uncertain.  At  last  Hercules  felt  his 
great  strength  begin  to  fail,  and  noticed  that  every  time  his  ad- 


228  CLASSICAL  MYTHS. 

versary  touched  the  ground  he  seemed  to  renew  his  vigor.  He 
therefore  resolved  to  try  and  win  by  strategy,  and,  watching  his 
opportunity,  seized  Antaeus  round  the  waist,  raised  him  from  the 
ground,  and  held  him  aloft  in  his  powerful  embrace. 

The  giant  struggled  with  all  his  might  to  get  free  ;  but  Hercules 
held  him  fast,  and  felt  him  grow  weaker  and  weaker,  now  that 
he  was  no  longer  sustained  by  his  mother  Earth,  from  whom  he 
derived  all  his  strength,  until  at  last  his  struggles  ceased,  and  he 
hung  limp  and  lifeless  in  Hercules'  crushing  embrace. 

"  Lifts  proud  Antaeus  from  his  mother-plains, 
And  with  strong  grasp  the  struggling  giant  strains; 
Back  falls  his  fainting  head  and  clammy  hair, 
Writhe  his  weak  limbs,  and  flits  his  life  in  air." 

DARWIN. 

Now  that  the  gigantic  defender  of  the  Pygmies  no  longer 
blocked  his  way,  Hercules  traveled  onward  in  search  of  Atlas, 
whom  he  finally  found  supporting  the  heavens  on 
his  broad  shoulders.  Atlas  listened  attentively  to 
all  Hercules  had  to  say,  declared  he  knew  where  the  apples 
could  be  found,  and  promised  to  get  them  if  the  hero  would 
only  relieve  him  of  his  burden  for  a  little  while.  Glad  to  accom- 
plish his  purpose  so  e.asily,  Hercules  allowed  the  burden  of  the 
heavens  to  be  transferred  to  his  shoulders,  and  Atlas  hastened  off 
to  fulfill  his  part  of  the  agreement. 

From  afar  the  giant  saw  the  golden  fruit  glittering  in  the 
sunshine.  Stealthily  he  drew  near,  entered  the  gardens,  slew  the 
dragon  in  his  sleep,  plucked  the  apples,  and  returned  unmolested 
to  the  place  where  he  had  left  Hercules.  But  his  steps  became 
slower  and  slower ;  and  as  he  neared  the  hero,  he  could  not  help 
thinking  with  horror  of  the  burden  he  must  so  soon  resume,  and 
bear  for  centuries,  perhaps,  without  relief. 

This  thought  oppressed  him.  Freedom  was  so  sweet,  that  he 
resolved  to  keep  it,  and,  coolly  stepping  up  to  Hercules,  an- 
nounced that  he  would  carry  the  golden  apples  to  Eurystheus, 
and  leave  him  to  support  the  heavens  in  his  stead.  Feign- 


IIl-.KCL'LES.  229 

ing  a  satisfaction  which  he  was  very  far  from  feeling,  Hercules 
acquiesced,  but  detained  Atlas  for  a  moment,  asking  him  to 
hold  the  heavens  until  he  could  place  a  cushion  on  his  shoulders. 
Good-natured,  as  giants  proverbially  are,  Atlas  threw  the  apples 
on  the  grass  beside  him,  and  assumed  the  incumbent  weight ; 
but  Hercules,  instead  of  preparing  to  resume  it,  picked  up  the 
apples,  leaving  Atlas  alone,  in  the  same  plight  as  he  had  found 
him,  there  to  remain  until  some  more  compassionate  hero  should 
come  and  set  him  free. 

"There  Atlas,  son  of  great  lapetus, 

With  head  inclined  and  ever-during  arms, 
Sustains  the  spacious  heavens." 

HESIOD. 

It  was  during  the  course  of  one  of  his  mighty  labors,  that 
Hercules,  with  one  wrench  of  his  powerful  arm,  tore  a  cleft  in 
the  mountains,  and  allowed  the  waters  of  the  Sea  to  flow  into 
Oceanus ;  and  ever  since,  the  rocks  on  either  side  of  the  Strait 
of  Gibraltar  have  borne  the  name  of  Hercules'  Pillars. 

The  twelfth  and  last  task  appointed  by  Eurystheus  was  the  most 
difficult  of  all  to  perform.  Hercules  was  commanded  to  descend 
into  Hades  and  bring  up  the  dog  Cerberus,  securely  bound. 

"  But  for  the  last,  to  Pluto's  drear  abode 
Through  the  dark  jaws  of  Taenarus  he  went, 
To  drag  the  triple-headed  dog  to  light." 

EURIPIDES  (Potter's  tr.). 

This  command,  like  all  the  others,  was  speedily  obeyed ;  but 
Eurystheus  was  so  terrified  at  the  aspect  of  the  triple-headed 
dog,  from  the  foam  of  whose  dripping  jaws  the  nightshade 
sprang,  that  he  took  refuge  in  a  huge  jar,  and  refused  to  come 
out  until  Hercules  had  carried  the  monster  back  to  his  cave. 

The  twelve  appointed  labors  were  finished;  the  time  of  bond- 
age was  ended ;  and  Hercules,  a  free  man,  could  wander  at  his 
own  sweet  will,  and  enjoy  the  happiness  of  freedom.  A  roam- 
ing existence  had,  from  force  of  habit,  become  a  necessity :  so 
'5 


230  CLASSICAL    MYTHS. 

the  hero  first  journeyed  to  Olympia,  where  he  instituted  games 
to  be  celebrated  every  fifth  year  in  honor  of  Jupiter,  his  father. 

Olympian  Thence  he  wandered  from  place  to  place,  doing 
Games.  good,  and  came  to  the  house  of  Admetus,  where 
he  was  surprised  to  find  all  the  court  in  mourning. 

His  sympathetic  inquiries  soon  brought  forth  a  full  account 
of  Alcestis'  sacrifice  of  her  own  life  to  insure  the  immortality  of 
her  husband  (p.  65).  The  hero's  heart  was  touched  by  the  king's 
loneliness  ;  and  he  again  braved  the  terrors  of  Hades,  and  brought 
Alcestis  back  from  the  grave,  and  restored  her  to  her  husband's 
arms. 

Hercules  took  a  prominent  part  in  many  heroic  enterprises. 
Among  others,  he  joined  in  the  Argonautic  expedition  (p.  266),  in 
the  battle  between  the  Centaurs  and  Lapithae  (p.  260),  in  the  war 
of  the  gods  and  giants,  and  in  the  first  siege  of  Troy  (p.  152), 
which  proved  successful. 

But  the  hero,  although  so  lately  escaped  from  servitude,  was 
Hercules  and  soon  obliged  to  return  into  bondage ;  for  in  a  fit 

Omphaie.  of  anger  ne  siew  a  man,  and  was  condemned  by 
the  assembled  gods  to  serve  Omphaie,  Queen  of  Lydia,  for  a 
certain  lapse  of  time. 

No  great  deeds  were  now  required  of  Hercules,  whose  strength 
was  derided  by  his  new  mistress,  and  who,  governing  him  easily 
by  his  admiration  for  her,  made  him  submit  to  occupations  un- 
worthy of  a  man,  and,  while  he  was  busy  spinning,  decked  herself 
in  his  lion's  skin,  and  brandished  his  renowned  club. 

"  His  lion  spoils  the  laughing  Fair  demands, 
And  gives  the  distaff  to  his  awkward  hands." 

DARWIN. 

However  unworthy  these  effeminate  tasks  may  seem  for  such  a 
hero,  they  proved  very  agreeable  indeed  to  Hercules,  who,  having 
fallen  in  love  with  his  new  mistress,  seemed  to  wish  nothing  bet- 
ter than  to  remain  her  slave  forever,  and  end  his  days  in  idleness 
and  pleasure.  Great  labors  were  awaiting  his  mighty  arm,  how- 


HERCULES  AT  THE  FEET  OF  OMPHALE.-GIeyre,  (231) 


232  CLASSICAL    MYTHS. 

ever;  and  the  gods,  at  the  appointed  time,  freed  him  from  his 
bondage  to  the  Lydian  queen,  and  bade  him  go  forth  and  do  all 
the  good  in  his  power. 

In  the  course  of  his  wanderings,  Hercules  next  met  Deianeira, 
Hercules  and     daughter  of  (Eneus,  and,  having  fallen  in  love  with 
Deianeira.       ^g^  expressed  a  desire  to  marry  her.     But  unfortu- 
nately another  suitor,  the  river  god  Achelous,  had  already  won 
the  father's  consent. 

"  Achelous  came, 

The  river  god,  to  ask  a  father's  voice, 
And  snatched  me  to  his  arms." 

SOPHOCLES  (Francklin's  tr.). 

So  sure  was  this  suitor  of  his  attractions,  that  he  .did  not  even 
deem  it  necessary  to  secure  the  maiden's  good  graces ;  and  when 
Hercules  made  known  his  love,  she  immediately  promised  to 
marry  him,  if  he  would  only  free  her  from  the  lover  her  father 
would  fain  force  upon  her.  Delighted  to  be  able  to  win  his 
bride  and  punish  his  rival  at  the  same  time,  Hercules  challenged 
Achelous ;  and  now  began  a  wrestling  match,  the  fame  of  which 
has  come  down  to  us  through  all  the  intervening  centuries. 

Achelous  was  an  opponent  worthy  of  Hercules,  and,  besides, 
took  advantage  of  his  power  to  change  his  form  at  will,  further 
to  perplex  and  harass  the  sturdy  hero.  At  last  he  assumed  the 
shape  of  a  bull,  and  with  lowered  horns  rushed  toward  Hercules, 
intending  to  toss  him  aside.  The  hero,  skillfully  avoiding  his 
first  onset,  seized  him  by  one  of  his  great  thickset  horns,  and 
held  it  so  firmly  that  all  the  bull's  efforts  to  free  himself  from  his 
powerful  grasp  were  vain,  until  the  horn  broke. 

The  Goddess  of  Plenty,  the  Attican  Fortuna,  a  witness  of  this 
strange  combat,  appropriated  the  broken  horn,  stuffed  her  treas- 
ures in  its  hollow,  and  was  so  well  pleased  with  the  effect,  that 
she  decreed  it  should  henceforth  be  one  of  her  attributes.  The 
fight,  only  temporarily  suspended,  was  now  resumed  with  re- 
doubled ardor,  for  each  of  the  lovers  was  intent  upon  winning 
the  hand  of  the  fair  Deianeira. 


FORTUNA. 
(  Vatican,  Rome.) 


(233) 


234  CLASSICAL   MYTHS. 

"  Warm,  and  more  warm  the  conflict  grows: 
Dire  was  the  noise  of  rattling  bows, 
Of  front  to  front  opposed,  and  hand  to  hand  : 
Deep  was  the  animated  strife 
For  love,  for  conquest,  and  for  life." 

SOPHOCLES  (Francklin's  tr.). 

The  victory,  though  long  uncertain,  finally  rested  with  Her- 
cules, who  triumphantly  departed  with  his  hard-won  bride,  for 
his  destiny  would  not  permit  him  to  tarry  long  in  any  place. 
Instead  of  wandering  alone  now,  with  none  to  cheer  or  sympa- 
thize, Hercules  had  Deianeira  ever  at  his  side ;  and  after  many 
days  they  came  to  the  river  Evenus,  whose  usually  shallow  and 
peaceful  waters  were  swollen  and  turbid,  for  violent  rainstorms 
had  recently  swept  over  that  portion  of  the  country. 

Hercules  paused  for  a  moment  to  contemplate  the  stream, 
and  glanced  about  for  some  safe  mode  to  transport  Deianeira 
story  of        across.     While  he  was  thus  considering,  a  Centaur 
Nessus.        by  the  name  of  Nessus  came  to  his  assistance,  and 
proposed  to  carry  the  fair  young  bride  to  the  other  shore  in  com- 
plete safety,  if  she  would  but  consent  to  mount  upon  his  broad 
back. 

"  The  hoary  centaur,  who  was  wont  for  hire 
To  bear  the  traveler  o'er  the  rapid  flood 
Of  deep  Evenus  :  not  with  oars  or  sail 
He  stemm'd  the  torrent,  but  with  nervous  arm 
Opposed  and  pass'd  it ;  me,  when  first  a  bride, 
I  left  my  father's  hospitable  roof 
With  my  Alcides,  in  his  arms  he  bore 
Athwart  the  current." 

SOPHOCLES  (Francklin's  tr.). 

Hercules,  only  too  glad  to  avail  himself  of  the  Centaur's  kind 
offer  of  assistance,  quickly  helped  Deianeira  to  mount,  saw  them 
descend  into  the  water,  and  prepared  to  follow,  holding  his  bow 
and  arrows  aloft  in  one  hand,  and  breasting  the  waves  with  the 
other. 

Now,  the  Centaur  Nessus  did  not  often  have  the  good  fortune 


HERCULES.  235 

to  carry  such  a  pretty  passenger  as  Deianeira  over  the  river,  and 
as  he  swam  he  made  up  his  mind  to  gallop  off  with  her  as  soon 
as  he  reached  the  opposite  shore.  All  his  strength  and  energy, 
therefore,  were  called  into  requisition ;  and  when  he  reached  the 
shore,  instead  of  pausing  to  allow  his  fair  burden  to  dismount, 
he  set  off  as  fast  as  he  could  run. 

A  loud  shriek  from  Deianeira  attracted  Hercules'  attention, 
and  a  second  later  one  of  his  poisoned  arrows  had  brought  the 
would-be  ravisher  to  the  ground,  pierced  through 

....  .     ,    .  Nessus'  robe. 

the  heart.  \\  ith  dying  accents  the  Centaur  I^essus 
professed  repentance,  and  bade  Deianeira  take  his  robe, — but 
slightly  stained  with  the  blood  which  gushed  from  the  wound 
inflicted  by  the  poisoned  arrow, — and  keep  it  carefully,  for  it 
had  magic  power ;  and  if  she  ever  found  her  husband's  love  wan- 
ing, he  assured  her,  that,  could  she  but  induce  him  to  put  it  on, 
all  his  early  affection  would  revive,  as  pure  and  fervent  as  during 
their  honeymoon. 

"'Take 

This  white  robe.     It  is  costly.     See,  my  blood 
Has  stained  it  but  a  little.     I  did  wrong: 
I  know  it,  and  repent  me.     If  there  come 
A  time  when  he  grows  cold  —  for  all  the  race 
Of  heroes  wander,  nor  can  any  love 
Fix  theirs  for  long  —  take  it  and  wrap  him  in  it, 
And  he  shall  love  again.' " 

LEWIS  MORRIS. 

Deianeira  gratefully  accepted  the  proffered  gift,  and  promised 
to  treasure  it  up  carefully,  although  she  sincerely  hoped  she 
would  never  be  called  upon  to  make  use  of  it.  Years  passed  by. 
Hercules  often  left  Deianeira  to  deliver  the  oppressed  and  relieve 
the  suffering,  for  people  came  from  great  distances  to  ask  for  his 
aid ;  and  although  his  absences  were  sometimes  prolonged,  he 
always  returned  to  her  side,  as  loving  as  ever,  and  she  had  no 
cause  for  complaint.  Finally  duty  took  him  back  to  the  court  of 
Eurytus,  where  he  beheld  lole,  whom  he  had  seen  and  loved  in 
the  beginning  of  his  career,  but  whom  he  had  been  obliged  to 


236  CLASSICAL  MYTHS. 

leave  to  fulfill  his  arduous  tasks.  She  was  still  young  and  charm- 
ing, and  his  first  glance  into  her  sweet  face  rekindled  all  his 
former  passion.  Day  after  day  he  lingered  by  her  side,  forgetful 
of  duty,  Deianeira,  and  all  but  his  first  dream  of  love  and  happi- 
ness. .When  absent,  Deianeira  was  wont  to  hear  rumors  of  his 
heroic  achievements ;  but  on  this  occasion  the  only  report  which 
reached  her  ear  was  that  he  had  returned  to  his  allegiance  to  his 
first  love,  and  this  roused  her  jealousy,  so  long  dormant. 

Finally  she  heard  that  Hercules  was  wending  his  way  home- 
ward again,  and  her  heart  bounded  with  joy,  but  only  to  sink 

Deianeira's  more  heavily  when  told  that  he  was  accompanied 
jealousy.  ^y  jo}e  an(j  a  numerous  train.  Then  she  remem- 
bered the  long-forgotten  gift  of  the  Centaur.  With  trembling 
hands  she  sought  the  glittering  robe,  gave  it  to  a  messenger,  and 
bade  him  hasten  to  meet  Hercules,  and  prevail  upon  him  to 
wear  it  for  his  triumphant  return.  The  messenger,  Lichas,  has- 
tened to  do  her  bidding,  and  Deianeira  waited  with  fast-beating 
heart  for  the  success  of  her  venture. 

"  I  only  wish  the  charm  may  be  of  power 
To  win  Alcides  from  this  virgin's  love, 
And  bring  him  back  to  Deianeira's  arms." 

SOPHOCLES  (Francklin's  tr.). 

Lichas  acquitted  himself  faithfully  of  his  errand ;  and  Hercules, 
viewing  the  costly  garment,  and  anxious  to  appear  to  his  best 
advantage  before  the  bright  eyes  of  lole,  immediately  donned 
the  richly  embroidered  robe. 

He  had  no  sooner  put  it  on,  than  the  Centaur's  poisoned 
blood  began  its  deadly  work.  First  he  experienced  a  burning, 

Hercules-  stinging  sensation,  which  ran  like  fire  through  every 
death.  vein.  Vainly  he  tried  to  tear  off  the  fatal  garment. 
It  clung  to  his  limbs,  and  the  poison  ate  its  way  into  his  flesh, 
until  the  pain  was  greater  than  he  could  bear. 

In  his  rage  at  the  trick  which  had  been  played  upon  him,  he 
seized  Lichas  —  the  unfortunate  bearer  of  the  poisoned  robe  — 


HERCULES  AND   LICHAS.— Canova. 
( Venice.) 


(237) 


238  CLASSICAL   MYTHS. 

by  the  foot,  and  flung  him  from  the  heights  of  Mount  (Eta  down 
into  the  sea,  where  he  perished. 

"  And  Lichas  from  the  top  of  CEta  threw 
Into  th'  Euboic  Sea." 

MILTON. 

Then,  resolved  to  end  these  unendurable  torments  by  a  death 
worthy  of  his  whole  life,  Hercules  called  his  servants,  and  bade 
them  build  his  funeral  pyre  on  the  mountain  peak ;  but  they,  in 
tears,  refused  to  obey,  for  they  could  not  bear  the  thought  of 
parting  with  their  beloved  master.  Commands  and  entreaties 
alike  failed  to  move  them :  so  Hercules  climbed  up  the  mountain 
side  alone,  tore  up  the  huge  oaks  by  their  roots,  flung  them  one 
upon  the  other  until  he  had  raised  a  mighty  pile,  upon  which  he 
stretched  his  colossal,  pain-racked  limbs,  and  bade  his  friend 
Philoctetes  set  fire  to  the  stupendous  mass. 

At  first  Philoctetes  also  refused  to  do  his  bidding ;  but,  bribed 
by  the  promise  of  the  world-renowned  poisoned  arrows,  he  finally 
consented  to  do  as  Hercules  wished,  and  the  red  flames  rose 
higher  and  higher,  the  wood  crackled  and  burned,  and  the  hero 
was  soon  enveloped  in  sheets  of  flame,  which  purged  him  from 
all  mortality. 

Then  Jupiter  came  down  from  his  glorious  abode,  caught  the 
noble  soul  in  his  mighty  arms,  and  bore  it  off  to  Olympus,  there 
to  dwell  in  happiness  forever  with  Hebe,  the  fair  goddess  of 
youth,  whose  hand  was  given  him  in  marriage. 

"  Till  the  god,  the  earthly  part  forsaken, 
From  the  man  in  flames  asunder  taken, 
Drank  the  heavenly  ethers'  purer  breath. 
Joyous  in  the  new,  unwonted  lightness, 
Earth's  dark,  heavy  burden  lost  in  death. 
High  Olympus  gives  harmonious  greeting 
To  the  hall  where  reigns  his  sire  adored ; 
Youth's  bright  goddess,  with  a  blush  at  meeting, 
Gives  the  nectar  to  her  lord." 

SCHILLER  (S.  G.  B.'s  tr.). 


HERCULES.  239 

Hercules,  the  special  divinity  of  athletic  sports  and  of  strength, 
was  principally  worshiped  by  young  men.     He  is      worship  of 
generally  represented  in  art  as  a  tall,  powerfully        Hercules, 
built  man,  with  a  small,  bearded  head,  a  lion's  skin  carelessly 
thrown  over  his  shoulder,  and  leaning  upon  a  massive  club. 

"Great  Alcides,  stooping  with  his  toil, 
Rests  on  his  club." 

POPE. 

It  is  said  that  some  of  the  games  celebrated  at  Olympia  were 
held  in  his  honor,  although  originally  instituted  by  him  in  honor 
of  Jupiter,  his  father.  The  Nemean  Games,  celebrated  in  the 
forest  of  Nemea,  the  scene  of  his  first  great  labor,  were  the 
principal  games  held  in  Greece  in  commemoration  of  his  noble 
deeds  and  early  death. 


CHAPTER    XX. 

PERSEUS. 

THE  life  of  Acrisius,  King  of  Argos,  had  been  a  burden  to 

him  ever  since  the  unfortunate  day  when  an  oracle  had  predicted 

Acrisius  and     that  he  would  be  killed  by  his  grandson.     Until 

Danae.         then  the  king  had  been  very  fond  of  his  only  child, 

Danae,  and  until  then,  too,  had  thought  with  pride  of  the  time 

when  he  would  bestow  her  hand  in  marriage  upon  the  noblest  of 

all  who  came  to  woo. 

Now  his  plans  were  all  changed,  and  his  only  wish  was  to 
keep  her  unmated,  —  a  somewhat  difficult  task,  for  the  maiden 
was  very  fair,  and  Acrisius  knew  that  the  wily  God  of  Love 
would  endeavor  to  find  some  way  to  outwit  him  and  bring  his 
plans  to  naught.  After  much  thought,  Acrisius  decided  to  lock 
Danae  up  in  a  brazen  tower,  around  which  he  stationed  guards 
to  prevent  any  one  from  even  approaching  the  captive  princess. 

But,  although  safely  concealed  from  the  eyes  of  men,  Danae 
was  plainly  seen  by  the  everlasting  gods ;  and  Jupiter,  looking 
down  from  Olympus,  beheld  her  in  all  her  loveliness  and  in  all 
her  loneliness.  She  was  seated  on  top  of  her  brazen  tower,  her 
eyes  wistfully  turned  toward  the  city,  where  girls  of  her  age  en- 
joyed freedom,  and  were  allowed  to  marry  when  they  pleased. 

Jupiter,  pitying   her  isolation  and    admiring   her  beauty,  re- 
solved to  go  down  and  converse  with  her  for  a  little  while.     To 
The  shower      avoid  being  seen,  he  changed  himself  into  a  golden 
of  gold.         shower,  and  gently  dropped  down  on  the  turret 
beside  her,  where  his  presence  and  spirited  conversation  soon  won 
the  maiden's  heart. 

240 


PERSEUS.  241 

"  Danae,  in  a  brazen  tower 
Where  no  love  was,  loved  a  shower." 

SHELLEY. 

This  first  successful  visit  was  frequently  repeated,  and  Danae 
no  longer  felt  lonely  and  deserted,  for  Jupiter  spent  most  of  his 
time  with  her,  pursuing  his  courtship  most  diligently,  and  finally 
winning  her  to  a  secret  marriage,  to  which  no  one  offered  the 
slightest  objection,  as  no  one  suspected  his  visits,  which  he  con- 
tinued quite  unmolested. 

But  one  morning  the  guards  rushed  in  terror  to  Acrisius'  pal- 
ace to  announce  that  Danae,  his  daughter,  had  given  birth  to  a 
son,  who,  on  account  of  his  beauty,  was  called  Per-         Birth  of 
seus.     The  king  no  sooner  learned  this  astonish-         Perseus, 
ing  news,  than  he  flew  into  a  great  rage,  vowed  that  mother  and 
child  should  perish,  and  dispatched  the  guards  to  fetch  the  un- 
fortunate victims. 

Acrisius,  however,  was  not  cruel  enough  to  stain  his  own 
hands  with  his  child's  blood,  or  to  witness  her  execution :  so  he 
ordered  that  she  should  be  placed  in  an  empty  cask  with  her 
helpless  infant,  and  exposed  to  the  fury  of  the  waves.  These 
orders  were  speedily  executed ;  and  Danae's  heart  sank  with  terror 
when  she  felt  the  cask  buffeted  about  by  the  great  waves  far  out 
of  sight  of  land,  and  out  of  all  reach  of  help.  Clasping  her  babe 
close  to  her  bosom,  she  fervently  prayed  the  gods  to  watch  over 
them  both,  and  bring  them  in  safety  to  some  hospitable  shore. 

"  When  round  the  well-fram'd  ark  the  blowing  blast 
Roar'd,  and  the  heaving  whirlpools  of  the  deep 
With  rough'ning  surge  seem'd  threatening  to  o'erturn 
The  wide-tost  vessel,  not  with  tearless  cheeks 
The  mother  round  her  infant  gently  twined 
Her  tender  arm,  and  cried,  '  Ah  me  !  my  child  ! 
What  sufferings  I  endure  !  thou  sleep's!  the  while, 
Inhaling  in  thy  milky-breathing  breast 
The  balm  of  slumber.'  " 

SIMONIDES  (Elton's  tr.). 


242  CLASSICAL  MYTHS. 

Her  piteous  prayer  was  evidently  heard,  for,  after  much  toss- 
ing, the  cask  was  finally  washed  ashore  on  the  Island  of  Seriphus, 

Danae  at        where  Polydectes,  the  king,  kindly  received  mother 

Seriphus.  an(j  chiid.  Here  Perseus,  the  golden-haired,  grew 
to  manhood,  and  here  made  his  first  appearance  in  games  and 
combats. 

In  the  mean  while,  Polydectes  had  fallen  in  love  with  Danae, 
and  expressed  his  desire  to  marry  her ;  but  Danae  did  not  return 
his  affections,  and  would  not  consent.  Angry  at  her  persistent 
refusal  of  his  proposals,  Polydectes  wished  to  compel  her  to  obey, 
and  thereby  incurred  the  wrath  of  young  Perseus,  who  loudly  de- 
clared that  none  should  dare  force  his  mother  as  long  as  he  were 
there  to  defend  her.  This  boast  did  not  at  all  allay  the  monarch's 
wrath ;  and,  hoping  to  get  rid  of  the  young  boaster,  he  bade 
him  go  forth  and  slay  Medusa,  if  he  wished  to  convince  people 
that  his  bravery  was  real. 

This  Medusa  was  one  of  the  three  Gorgons.     Her  sisters,  Eury- 

ale  and  Stheno,  although  immortal,  had  never  had  any  claims 

to  beauty  ;  but  Medusa,  when  only  a  girl,  had  been 

The  Gorgons. 

considered  very  handsome  indeed.  Her  home,  in 
a  land  where  the  sun  never  shone,  was  very  distasteful  to  her,  so 
she  entreated  Minerva  to  let  her  go  and  visit  the  beautiful  sunny 
south. 

But  when  Minerva  refused  to  grant  her  wish,  she  reviled  the 
goddess,  and  declared  that  nothing  but  a  conviction  that  mortals 
would  no  longer  consider  her  beautiful  if  they  but  once  beheld 
Medusa,  could  have  prompted  this  denial.  This  presumptuous 
remark  so  incensed  Minerva,  that,  to  punish  her  for  her  vanity, 
she  changed  her  beautiful  curling  locks  into  hissing,  writhing  ser- 
pents, and  decreed  that  one  glance  into  her  still  beautiful  face 
would  suffice  to  change  the  beholder  into  stone. 

"  Fatal  Beauty  !  thou  didst  seem 
The  phantom  of  some  fearful  dream. 
Extremes  of  horror  and  of  love 
Alternate  o'er  our  senses  move, 


PERSEUS.  243 

As,  rapt  and  spellbound,  we  survey 
The  horrid  coils  which  round  thee  play, 
And  mark  thy  wild,  enduring  smile, 
Lit  by  no  mortal  fire  the  while, 
Formed  to  attract  all  eyes  to  thee, 
And  yet  their  withering  blight  to  be ; 
Thy  power  mysterious  to  congeal 
And  from  life's  blood  its  warmth  to  steal, 
To  petrify  the  mortal  clay 
In  its  first  gleam  of  wild  dismay, 
Is  a  dread  gift  to  one  like  thee, 
Cursed  with  a  hateful  destiny." 

MRS.  ST.  JOHN. 

The  gods,  who  had  carefully  watched  over  Perseus  through  his 
childhood  and  youth,  now  decided  to  lend  him  their  aid,  so  that 
he  might  successfully  accomplish  the  great  task  of        Perseus1 
slaying  Medusa.     Pluto  lent  him  a  magic  helmet,          quest, 
which  made  the  wearer  invisible  at  will ;   Mercury  attached  his 
own  winged  sandals  to  the  youth's  heels,  to  endow  him  with 
great  rapidity  of  flight ;   while  Minerva  armed  him  with  her  own 
mirrorlike  shield,  the  dreadful  y£gis. 

"  Minerva  thus  to  Perseus  lent  her  shield; 
Secure  of  conquest,  sent  him  to  the  field : 
The  hero  acted  what  the  queen  ordain'd, 
So  was' his  fame  complete." 

PRIOR. 

Thus  equipped,  Perseus  flew  northward  until  he  came  to  the 
land  of  perpetual  darkness,  the  home  of  the  Grasae,  three  horrible 
sisters,  who  possessed  but  one  eye  and  tooth,  which 

The  Graeae. 

they  handed   about  and   used  in  turn,  and  who 

were  the  only  living  beings  cognizant  of  the  place  where  Medusa 

dwelt. 

Invisible  by  virtue  of  his  magic  helmet,  Perseus  drew  near  the 
cave  without  fear  of  detection,  and  intercepted  the  eye  while  on 
its  way  from  one  sister  to  another.  As  soon  as  it  was  safe  in  his 
possession,  he  spoke  to  them,  promising  to  restore  it  if  they  would 


244  CLASSICAL    MYTHS. 

only  give  him  accurate  directions  for  finding  Medusa.  The  sis- 
ters, eager  to  recover  the  treasured  eye,  immediately  gave  the 
desired  information ;  and  Perseus,  having  honorably  fulfilled  his 
share  of  the  contract,  departed  in  search  of  Medusa. 

Perseus  at  last  perceived  the  Gorgons'  home  in  the  dim  dis- 
tance ;  and,  as  he  was  fully  aware  of  Medusa's  petrifying  proclivi- 

Death  of  ties>  ne  advanced  very  cautiously,  holding  his  shield 
Medusa.  before  him  at  such  an  angle  that  all  surrounding 
objects  were  clearly  reflected  on  its  smooth,  mirrorlike  surface. 

He  thus  discovered  Medusa  asleep,  raised  his  sword,  and, 
without  looking  at  anything  but  her  mirrored  form,  severed  her 
head  from  her  body,  seized  it  in  one  hand,  and,  holding  it  persist- 
ently behind  his  back,  flew  away  in  great  haste,  lest  the  two 
remaining  Gorgons  should  fall  upon  him  and  attempt  to  avenge 
their  sister's  death. 

Perseus  then  swiftly  winged  his  way  over  land  and  sea,  care- 
fully holding  his  ghastly  trophy  behind  him ;  and  as  he  flew, 
Birth  of  Medusa's  blood  trickled  down  on  the  hot  African 
snakes.  sand,  where  it  gave  birth  to  a  race  of  poisonous 
reptiles  destined  to  infest  the  region  in  future  ages,  and  cause 
the  death  of  many  an  adventurous  explorer.  The  drops  which 
fell  into  the  sea  were  utilized  by  Neptune,  who  created  from  them 
the  famous  winged  steed  called  Pegasus  (p.  154). 

"And  the  life  drops  from  thy  head 
On  Libyan  sands,  by  Perseus  shed, 
Sprang  a  scourging  race  from  thee  — 
Fell  types  of  artful  mystery." 

MRS.  ST.  JOHN. 

The  return  journey  was  long  and  wearisome,  and  on  his  way 
the  hero  had  many  adventures.  Once,  when  flying  high  above  a 
mountainous  country,  he  caught  a  glimpse  of  Atlas,  his  pale  face 
turned  up  to  the  heavens,  whose  weight  he  had  patiently  borne 
for  many  a  long  year,  —  a  burden  which  seemed  all  the  more 
grievous  after  the  short  taste  of  freedom  he  had  enjoyed  while 
Hercules  stood  in  his  place, — 


PERSEUS.  — Cellini. 
(  Loggia  de'  Lanzi,  Florence. ) 


(=45) 


16 


246  CLASSICAL  MYTHS. 

"  Supporting  on  his  shoulders  the  vast  pillar 
Of  Heaven  and  Earth,  a  weight  of  cumbrous  grasp." 

AESCHYLUS  (Potter's  tr.). 

When  Atlas  saw  Perseus  flying  toward  him,  hope  revived,  for 

he  remembered  that  Fate  had  decreed  that  it  was  this  hero  who 

Atlas          was  to  slav  the  Gorgon  ;  and  he  thought,  that,  if  he 

petrified.  could  but  once  gaze  upon  her  stony  face,  he  would 
be  free  from  pain  and  weariness  forever.  As  soon  as  the  hero  was 
within  hearing,  Atlas  therefore  addressed  him  as  follows: — 

" '  Hasten  now,  Perseus,  and  let  me  look  upon  the  Gorgon's 
face,  for  the  agony  of  my  labor  is  well-nigh  greater  than  I  can 
bear.'  So  Perseus  hearkened  unto  the  word  of  Atlas,  and  he  un- 
veiled before  him  the  dead  face  of  Medusa.  Eagerly  he  gazed 
for  a  moment  on  the  changeless  countenance,  as  though  beneath 
the  blackness  of  great  horror  he  yet  saw  the  wreck  of  her  ancient 
beauty  and  pitied  her  for  her  hopeless  woe.  But  in  an  instant 
the  straining  eyes  were  stiff  and  cold ;  and  it  seemed  to  Perseus, 
as  he  rose  again  into  the  pale  yellow  air,  that  the  gray  hairs 
which  streamed  from  the  giant's  head  were  like  the  snow  which 
rests  on  the  peak  of  a  great  mountain,  and  that  in  place  of  the 
trembling  limbs  he  saw  only  the  rents  and  clefts  on  a  rough  hill- 
side." 

Thus  the  mere  sight  of  Medusa  changed  Atlas  into  the  rugged 
mountains  which  have  since  borne  his  name ;  and,  as  their  sum- 
mits are  lost  in  the  clouds,  the  ancients  supposed  they  sustained 
the  full  weight  of  the  heavenly  vault. 

Thence  Perseus  flew  on  until  he  reached  the  seashore,  where  a 
strange  sight  greeted  him.  Away  down  on  the  "  rock-bound 

Story  of  coast,"  so  near  the  foaming  billows  that  their  spray 
Andromeda,  continually  dashed  over  her  fair  limbs,  a  lovely 
maiden  was  chained  fast  to  an  overhanging  rock.  This  maiden 
was  the  Princess  Andromeda.  To  atone  for  the  vanity  of  her 
mother,  Cassiopeia,  who  claimed  she  was  fairer  than  any  of  the 
sea  nymphs,  she  had  been  exposed  there  as  prey  for  a  terrible 
sea  monster  sent  to  devastate  the  homes  along  the  coast, 


(«47> 


248  CLASSICAL   MYTHS. 

An  oracle,  when  consulted,  declared  that  the  monster  would 
not  depart  until  Andromeda  was  sacrificed  to  his  fury ;  and 
Perseus  could  even  now  perceive  the  receding  procession  which 
had  solemnly  accompanied  her  to  the  appointed  place  of  sacri- 
fice, and  chained  her  fast. 

At  the  same  time,  too,  he  saw  the  waters  below  the  maiden 
lashed  to  foam  by  the  monster's  tail,  and  the  scales  of  his  hideous 
body  slowly  rising  up  out  of  the  water.  Fascinated  by  this  hor- 
rible sight,  the  maiden's  eyes  were  fixed  on  the  monster.  She  did 
not  see  the  rapid  approach  of  her  deliverer,  who,  dauntless,  drew 
his  sword  from  its  scabbard,  and,  swooping  down,  attacked  the 
monster,  cheered  by  the  shouts  of  the  people,  who  had  seen  him, 
and  now  rushed  back  to  witness  the  slaying  of  their  foe. 

"  On  the  hills  a  shout 
Of  joy,  and  on  the  rocks  the  ring  of  mail; 
And  while  the  hungry  serpent's  gloating  eyes 
Were  fixed  on  me,  a  knight  in  casque  of  gold 
And  blazing  shield,  who  with  his  flashing  blade 
Fell  on  the  monster.     Long  the  conflict  raged, 
Till  all  the  rocks  were  red  with  blood  and  slime, 
And  yet  my  champion  from  those  horrible  jaws 
And  dreadful  coils  was  scathless." 

LEWIS  MORRIS. 

Of  course,  this  fierce  struggle  could  have  but  one  conclusion ; 
and  when  Perseus  had  slain  the  monster,  freed  Andromeda  from 
her  chains,  and  restored  her  to  the  arms  of  her  overjoyed  parents, 
they  immediately  offered  any  reward  he  might  be  pleased  to 
claim.  When  he,  therefore,  expressed  a  desire  to  marry  the 
maiden  he  had  so  bravely  rescued,  they  gladly  gave  him  her 
hand,  although  in  early  youth  the  princess  had  been  promised 
to  her  uncle  Phineus. 

Preparations  for  the  marriage  were  immediately  begun ;  and 
the  former  suitor,  who  had  been  too  cowardly  to  venture  a  single 
blow  to  deliver  her  from  the  monster,  prepared  to  fight  the  rival 
who  was  about  to  carry  off  his  promised  bride.  Unbidden  he 


PERSEUS.  249 

came  to  the  marriage  feast  with  a  number  of  armed  followers, 
and  was  about  to  carry  off  Andromeda,  when  Perseus  suddenly 
bade   his  adherents  stand    behind  him,   unveiled        phineus 
the   Medusa  head,  and,  turning  its  baleful   face        petrified, 
toward  Phineus  and  his  followers,  changed  them  all  into  stone. 

The  interrupted  marriage  feast  was  now  resumed ;  and  when 
it  was  over,  Perseus  took  his  bride  to  Seriphus,  where,  hearing 
that  Polydectes  had  dared  to  ill  treat  his  mother  because  she  still 
refused  to  accede  to  his  wishes  and  become  his  wife,  he  changed 
the  importunate  king  into  a  rock  by  showing  him  his  Medusa 
trophy,  gave  the  kingdom  to  the  king's  brother,  and,  accom- 
panied by  wife  and  mother,  returned  to  his  native  land.  The 
borrowed  helmet,  sandals,  and  shield  were  all  duly  restored  to 
their  respective  owners,  and  the  Medusa  head  was  given  to 
Minerva  in  token  of  gratitude  for  her  help.  Greatly  pleased 
with  this  gift,  the  goddess  set  it  in  the  center  of  her  terrible  ^Egis, 
where  it  retained  all  its  petrifying  power,  and  served  her  in  many 
a  fight. 

Arrived    at    Argos,  Perseus   discovered    that   a   usurper   had 
claimed  his  grandfather's  throne.    To  hurl  the  unlawful  claimant 
from  his  exalted  seat,  and  compel  him  to  make  full       Return  to 
restitution  and  atonement,  was  but  a  trifle  for  the         Argos. 
hero  who  had  conquered  Medusa;  and  Acrisius,  now  old  and 
weak,  was  taken  from  the  prison  where  he  languished,  and  re- 
stored to  his  wonted  honors,  by  the  very  youth  he  had  been  taught 
to  fear. 

But  the  gods'  decree  was  always  sure  to  be  fulfilled  sooner  or 
later ;  and  one  day,  when  Perseus  was  playing  quoits,  he  acci- 
dentally killed  his  grandfather.  To  remain  at  Argos,  haunted 
by  the  memory  of  this  involuntary  crime,  was  too  painful  for 
him :  so  he  exchanged  his  kingdom  for  another,  that  of  My- 
cenae, which  he  ruled  wisely  and  well.  When  Perseus  died,  after 
a  long  and  glorious  reign,  the  gods,  who  had  always  loved  him, 
placed  him  among  the  stars,  where  he  can  still  be  seen,  with  his 
wife  Andromeda,  and  mother-in-law  Cassiopeia. 


CHAPTER    XXI. 

THESEUS. 

WHEN  yet  but  a  very  young  man,  ^Egeus,  King  of  Athens, 
journeyed  off  to  Troezene,  where  he  fell  in  love  with  and  married 
a  pretty  young  princess  by  the  name  of  ^Ethra.  For  some  rea- 
son, which  mythologists  do  not  make  known,  the  king  was  forced 
to  return  alone  to  Athens ;  but  ere  he  departed  he  concealed  his 
sword  and  sandals  beneath  a  stone,  bidding  his  wife  remember, 
that,  as  soon  as  the  strength  of  their  son  Theseus  permitted,  he 
must  raise  the  rock,  appropriate  sword  and  sandals,  and  come  and 
join  him  in  Athens,  where  he  would  be  introduced  to  the  people 
as  his  son  and  heir.  These  instructions  given,  ^Egeus  bade  a 
fond  farewell  to  his  wife  and  infant  son,  and  returned  home. 

As  the  years  passed  by,  they  brought  strength,  beauty,  and 
wisdom  to  Theseus,  whose  fame  began  to  be  published  abroad. 
At  last  ^ithra  deemed  him  strong  enough  to  raise  the  rock  be- 
neath which  his  father's  trusty  weapon  lay ;  and,  conducting  him 
to  the  spot  where  it  was,  she  told  him  the  whole  story,  and  bade 
him  try  his  strength. 

Theseus  immediately  obeyed.  With  a  mighty  effort  he  raised 
the  rock,  and,  to  his  great  satisfaction,  found  the  sword  and  san- 
dals in  a  perfect  state  of  preservation.  Sword  in  hand,  he  then 
set  out  for  Athens, —  a  long  and  dangerous  journey.  He  pro- 
ceeded slowly  and  cautiously,  for  he  knew  that  many  dangers 
lurked  along  his  pathway,  and  that  ere  he  reached  his  father's 
city  he  would  have  to  encounter  both  giants  and  monsters,  who 
would  strive  to  bar  his  way. 

250 


THESEUS.  251 

He  was  not  at  all  mistaken  in  his  previsions ;  for  Troezene  was 
scarcely  lost  to  sight  ere  he  came  across  the  giant  Periphetes, 
son  of  Vulcan,  who  stood  in  the  road  and  attacked 
with  a  huge  club,  whose  blows  were  generally  fatal, 
all  who  strove  to  pass.    Adroitly  evading  the  giant's  first  on- 
slaught, Theseus  plunged  his  sword  deep  into  his  huge  side  ere 
he  could  renew  the  attack,  and  brought  him  lifeless  to  the  ground. 

Theseus  then  disarmed  his  fallen  foe,  and,  retaining  the  club 
for  future  use,  continued  his  journey  in  peace,  until  he  came  to 
the  Isthmus  of  Corinth,  where  two  adventures 
awaited  him.  The  first  was  with  a  cruel  giant 
named  Sinis,  nicknamed  The  Pine-bender,  whose  usual  practice 
was  to  bend  some  huge  pine  until  its  top  touched  the  ground, 
and  call  to  any  unsuspecting  passer-by  to  seize  it  and  lend  him  a 
helping  hand  for  a  moment.  Then,  as  soon  as  the  gullible 
stranger  had  complied  with  his  request,  he  would  suddenly  let  go 
the  pine,  which,  freed  from  his  gigantic  grasp,  sprang  back  to  its 
upright  position,  and  hurled  the  unfortunate  traveler  way  up 
in  the  air,  to  be  dashed  to  pieces  against  the  rocky  mountain 
side. 

Theseus,  who  had  already  heard  of  the  giant's  stratagem,  skill- 
fully eluded  the  danger,  and  finally  caused  Sinis  to  perish  by  the 
same  cruel  death  which  he  had  dealt  out  to  so  many  others. 

In  one  place  the  Isthmus  of  Corinth  was  exceedingly  narrow, 
and  the  only  practicable  pathway  led  along  a  rocky  ledge, 
guarded  by  a  robber  named  Sciron,  who  forced 

Sciron. 

all  who  tried  to  pass  him  to  wash  his  feet.     While 

the  traveler  was  thus  engaged,  and  knelt  in  the  narrow  pathway 

to  do  his  bidding,  he  would  suddenly  raise  his  foot,  kick  him 

over  the  side,  and  hurl  him  down  into  the  sea  below,  where  a 

huge  tortoise  was  ever  waiting  with  gaping  jaws  to  devour  the 

victims. 

Instead  of  yielding  to  Sciron's  exactions,  Theseus  drew  his 
sword,  and  by  his  determined  bearing  so  terrified  the  robber, 
that  he  offered  him  a  free  passage.  This  offer,  however,  did  not 


252  CLASSICAL   MYTHS. 

satisfy  Theseus,  who  said  he  would  sheathe  his  sword  only  on 
condition  that  Sciron  performed  for  him  the  menial  office  he  had 
imposed  upon  so  many  others.  Sciron  dared  not  refuse,  and 
obeyed  in  fear  and  trembling ;  but  he  was  doomed  never  to 
molest  any  one  again,  for  Theseus  kicked  him  over  the  precipice, 
into  the  breakers,  where  the  tortoise  feasted  upon  his  remains 
with  as  keen  a  relish  as  upon  former  victims. 

After  disposing  of  another  world-renowned  robber,    Cercyon 

(The  Wrestler),  Theseus  encountered  Procrustes  (The  Stretcher),  a 

Cercyon  and      cruel  giant,  who,  under  pretext  of  entertainment, 

Procrustes.  deluded  travelers  into  entering  his  home,  where 
he  had  two  beds  of  very  different  dimensions,  —  one  unusually 
short,  the  other  unusually  long.  If  the  unfortunate  traveler  were 
a  short  man,  he  was  put  to  bed  in  the  long  bedstead,  and  his 
limbs  were  pulled  out  of  joint  to  make  him  fit  it;  but  if,  on  the 
contrary,  he  were  tall,  he  was  assigned  the  short  bed,  and  the 
superfluous  length  of  limb  was  lopped  off  under  the  selfsame 
pretext.  Taking  Procrustes  quite  unawares,  Theseus  gave  him 
a  faint  idea  of  the  sufferings  he  had  inflicted  upon  others  by 
making  him  try  each  bed  in  turn,  and  then,  to  avoid  his  con- 
tinuing these  evil  practices,  put  an  end  to  his  wretched  existence. 

Theseus  successfully  accomplished  a-  few  more  exploits  of  a 
similar  character,  and  finally  reached  Athens,  where  he  found 
that  his  fame  had  preceded  him. 

"  In  days  of  old,  there  liv'd  of  mighty  fame, 
A  valiant  prince,  and  Theseus  was  his  name : 
A  chief,  who  more  in  feats  of  arms  excell'd, 

The  rising  nor  the  setting  sun  beheld." 

MORRIS. 

The  first  tidings  that  there  reached  his  ear  were  that  ^Egeus  had 
just  married  Medea,  the  enchantress ;  but,  although  these  tidings 
Medea's        were    very   unwelcome,    he   hastened    on    to    his 
draught.        father's  court,   to  make  himself  known,  and   re- 
ceive  the  welcome  promised  so  many  years  before.      Medea, 
seated  by  ^geus'  side,  no  sooner  saw  the  young  stranger  draw 


THESEUS.  253 

near,  than  she  knew  him,  and  foresaw  that  he  had  come  to 
demand  his  rights.  To  prevent  his  making  known  claims  which 
might  interfere  with  the  prospects  of  her  future  offspring,  she 
hastily  mixed  a  deadly  poison  in  a  cup,  which  she  filled  with 
fragrant  wine,  and  bade  ^geus  offer  it  to  the  stranger. 

The  monarch  was  about  to  execute  her  apparently  hospitable 
purpose,  when  his  eye  suddenly  rested  upon  the  sword  at  Theseus' 
side,  which  he  immediately  recognized.  One  swift  glance  into 
the  youth's  open  face  convinced  him  that  ^Ethra's  son  stood  be- 
fore him,  and  he  eagerly  stretched  out  his  arms  to  clasp  him  to  his 
heart.  This  sudden  movement  upset  the  goblet,  and  the  poi- 
sonous contents,  falling  upon  a  dog  lying  at  the  king's  feet,  caused 
his  almost  instantaneous  death.  Medea,  seeing  her  crime  dis- 
covered and  Theseus  recognized,  quickly  mounted  her  magic 
dragon  car,  and  fled  to  Media,  whence  she  never  returned. 

One  day,  some  time  after  his  arrival  at  Athens,  Theseus  heard 
a  sound  of  weeping  and  great  lamentation  throughout  all  the 
city,  and  in  reply  to  his  wondering  inquiries  was  Tribute  to  the 
told,  that  ever  since  an  unfortunate  war  between  Minotaur, 
the  Cretans  and  Athenians,  the  latter,  who  had  been  vanquished, 
were  obliged  to  pay  a  yearly  tribute  of  seven  youths  and  as 
many  maidens,  destined  to  serve  as  food  for  the  Minotaur. 
Further  questions  evolved  the  fact  that  the  Minotaur  was  a 
hideous  monster,  the  property  of  Minos,  King  of  Crete,  who 
kept  it  in  an  intricate  labyrinth,  constructed  for  that  express 
purpose  by  Daedalus,  the  far-famed  architect. 

"  There  lived  and  flourished  long  ago,  in  famous  Athens  town, 
One  Daedalus,  a  carpenter  of  genius  and  renown  ; 
('Twas  he  who  with  an  augur  taught  mechanics  how  to  bore, — 
An  art  which  the  philosophers  monopolized  before.)  " 

SAXE. 

This  labyrinth  was  so  very  intricate,  that  those  who  entered 
could  not  find  their  way  out ;   and  even  Daedalus     Dsedaius  and 
and  his  son  Icarus,  after  many  days'  attempt,  found 
they  could  not  leave  it.     Rather  than  remain  imprisoned  for- 


(354) 


DAEDALUS  AND  ICARUS.— Vien. 


THESEUS.  255 

ever,  Daedalus  then  manufactured  wings  for  himself  and  for  his 
son,  and  determined  to  make  use  of  them  to  effect  his  escape. 

"Now  Daedalus,  the  carpenter,  had  made  a  pair  of  wings, 
Contrived  of  wood  and  feathers  and  a  cunning  set  of  springs, 
By  means  of  which  the  wearer  could  ascend  to  any  height, 
And  sail  about  among  the  clouds  as  easy  as  a  kite." 

SAXK. 

After  repeated  cautions  to  his  son  not  to  venture  too  high, 
lest  the  sun's  heat  should  melt  the  wax  fixing  the  feathers  to  the 
frame,  Daedalus  bade  Icarus  don  his  plumage  and  fly  to  a  coun- 
try where  they  would  be  free,  promising  to  follow  him  thither 
very  shortly. 

"  '  My  Icarus  ! '  he  says ;   '  I  warn  thee  fly 
Along  the  middle  track :  nor  low,  nor  high ; 
If  low,  thy  plumes  may  flag  with  ocean's  spray; 
If  high,  the  sun  may  dart  his  fiery  ray.'  " 

OVID  (Elton's  tr.). 

Delighted  with  this  new  mode  of  travel,  Icarus  flew  swiftly 
along.  Little  by  little  he  forgot  the  danger  and  his  father's  cau- 
tion, and  rose  up  higher  and  higher,  until  he  could  bask  in  the 
direct  rays  of  the  ardent  sun.  The  heat,  which  seemed  so  grate- 
ful after  his  chilly  flight,  soon  softened  and  melted  the  wax  on 
his  wings ;  and  Icarus,  no  longer  supported  by  the  light  feathers, 
sank  down  faster  and  faster,  until  he  fell  into  the  sea,  where  he 
was  drowned,  and  which,  in  memory  of  him,  bears  the  name  of 
Icarian  to  this  day. 

These  varied  details  kindled  Theseus'  love  of  adventure,  and 
still  further  strengthened  him  in  his  sudden  resolve  to  join  the 
mournful  convoy,  try  his  strength  against  the  awful  Minotaur, 
and,  if  possible,  save  his  country  from  further  similar  exactions. 

"  While  Attica  thus  groan'd,  with  ills  opprest; 

His  country's  wrongs  inflam'd  brave  Theseus'  breast ; 
Instant  his  gen'rous  soul  resolv'd  to  save 
Cecrops'  great  offspring  from  a  timeless  grave." 

CATULLUS. 


256  CLASSICAL  MYTHS. 

Even  his  father's  tears  and  entreaties  were  powerless  to  move 
him  from  his  purpose,  and,  the  hour  having  come,  he  embarked 
upon  the  black-sailed  vessel  which  was  to  bear  the  yearly  tribute 
to  Crete,  promising  to  change  the  black  sails  for  snowy  white 
ones  if  he  were  fortunate  enough  to  return  victorious. 

Favorable  winds  soon  wafted  the  galley  to  distant  Crete,  and 
as  they  sailed  along  the  coast,  searching  for  the  harbor,  they  were 
challenged  by  the  brazen  giant  Talus,  who  walked 
daily  thrice  around  the  whole  island,  killing,  by  con- 
tact with  his  red-hot  body,  all  who  had  no  business  to  land  on  that 
coast.  Knowing,  however,  that  the  black-sailed  galley  brought 
a  fresh  supply  of  youths  and  maidens  for  the  terrible  Minotaur, 
Talus  let  it  pass  unharmed ;  and  the  victims  were  brought  into 
the  presence  of  Minos,  who  personally  inspected  each  new  freight- 
load,  to  make  sure  he  was  not  being  cheated  by  the  Athenians. 

At  the  monarch's  side  stood  his  fair  daughter  Ariadne,  whose 
tender  heart  was  filled  with  compassion  when  she  beheld  the  frail 

Ariadne's       maidens  and  gallant  youths  about  to  perish  by  such 

clew-          a  loathsome  death.     Theseus,  by  right  of  his  birth, 

claimed  the  precedence,  and  proffered  a  request  to  be  the  first 

victim,  —  a  request  which  the  king  granted  with  a  sardonic  smile, 

ere  he  returned  unmoved  to  his  interrupted  feast. 

Unnoticed  by  all,  Ariadne  slipped  out  of  the  palace,  and,  under 
cover  of  the  darkness,  entered  the  prison  where  Theseus  was 
confined.  There  she  tremblingly  offered  him  a  ball  of  twine  and 
a  sharp  sword,  bidding  him  tie  one  end  of  the  twine  to  the  en- 
trance of  the  labyrinth,  and  keep  the  other  in  his  hand  as  a  clew 
to  find  the  way  out  again  should  the  sword  enable  him  to  kill  the 
dreaded  Minotaur.  In  token  of  gratitude  for  this  timely  assist- 
ance, Theseus  solemnly  promised  Ariadne  to  take  her  with  him 
to  Athens  as  his  bride,  were  he  only  successful  in  his  undertaking. 

At  dawn  the  next  day  Theseus  was  conducted  to  the  entrance 
of  the  labyrinth,  and  there  left  to  await  the  tender  mercies  of  the 
Minotaur.  Like  all  heroes,  he  preferred  to  meet  any  danger 
rather  than  remain  inactive :  so,  mindful  of  Ariadne's  instruc- 


THESE  fS.  257 

tions,  he  fastened  his  twine  to  the  entrance,  and  then  boldly  pen- 
etrated into  the  intricate  ways  of  the  labyrinth,  where  many 
whitening  bones  plainly  revealed  the  fate  of  all  who  had  pre- 
ceded him. 

He  had  not  gone  very  far  before  he  encountered  the  Mino- 
taur,—  a  creature  more  hideous  than   fancy  can     Theseus  and 
paint,  —  and  he  was  obliged  to  use  all  his  skill  and    the  Minotaur, 
ingenuity  to  avoid  falling  a  prey  to  the  monster's  appetite,  and 
all  his  strength  to  lay  him  low  at  last. 

The  Minotaur  slain,  Theseus  hastily  retraced  his  footsteps. 

"And  the  slender  clew, 
Prepar'd  in  secret  by  th'  enamor'd  maid, 
Thro'  the  curv'd  labyrinth  his  steps  convey'd." 

CATULLUS. 

Arrived  at  the  place  where  his  ship  rode  at  anchor,  he  found 
his  companions  and  Ariadne  awaiting  him,  and,  springing  on 
board,  bade  the  sailors  weigh  anchor  as  quickly  Theseus' 
as  possible.  They  were  almost  out  of  reach  of  escape, 
the  Cretan  shores,  when  Talus  came  into  view,  and,  perceiving 
that  his  master's  prisoners  were  about  to  escape,  leaned  forward 
to  catch  the  vessel  by  its  rigging.  Theseus,  seeing  this,  sprang 
forward,  and  dealt  the  giant  such  a  blow,  that  he  lost  his  bal- 
ance and  fell  into  the  deep  sea,  where  he  was  drowned,  and 
where  thermal  springs  still  bear  witness  to  the  heat  of  his  brazen 
body. 

The  returning  vessel,  favored  by  wind  and  tide,  made  but  one 
port,  Naxos ;   and  here  youths  and  maidens  landed  to  view  the 
beautiful  island.    Ariadne  strayed  apart,  and  threw        Ariadne 
herself  down  upon  the  ground  to  rest,  where,  before        forsaken, 
she  was  aware  of  it,  sleep  overtook  her.     Now,  although  very 
brave,  Theseus  was  not  very  constant.      He  had  already  grown 
weary  of  Ariadne's  love ;   and,  when  he  saw  her  thus  asleep,  he 
basely  summoned  his  companions,  embarked  with  them,  and  set 
sail,  leaving  her  alone  upon  the  island,  where  Bacchus  soon 
came  to  console  her  for  the  loss  of  her  faithless  lover  (p.  1 8 1 ). 


(258) 


THESEUS.  259 

Theseus,  having  committed  a  deed  heinous  in  the  eyes  of  gods 
and  men,  was  doomed  to  suffer  just  punishment.     In  his  preoc- 
cupation he  entirely  forgot  his  promise  to  change        Theseus' 
the  black  sails  for  white ;   and  /Egeus,  from  Atti-     punishment, 
ca's  rocky  shore,  seeing  the  sable  sails  when  the  vessel  was  yet 
far  from  land,  immediately  concluded  that  his  son  was  dead,  and 
in  his  grief  cast  himself  into  the  sea  since  known  as  the  ^Egean, 
where  he  perished. 

"  As  from  a  mountain's  snowy  top  are  driv'n 
The  rolling  clouds,  by  the  rude  blasts  of  heav'n ; 
So  from  the  mem'ry  of  lost  Theseus  fled 
Those  dictates,  which  before  his  reason  sway'd : 
But  now  his  father  from  the  ramparts'  height, 
All  bath'd  in  tears,  directs  his  eager  sight ; 
O'er  the  wide  sea,  distended* by  the  gale, 
He  spies,  with  dread  amaze,  the  lurid  sail." 

CATTLLI-S. 

Theseus,  on  entering  the  city,  heard  of  his  father's  death ;  and 
when  he  realized  that  it  had  been  caused  by  his  carelessness,  he 
was  overwhelmed  with  grief  and  remorse.  All  the  Theseus'  reign 
cares  of  royalty  and  the  wise  measures  he  intro-  and  marriaee- 
duced  for  the  happiness  of  his  people  could  not  divert  his  mind 
from  this  terrible  catastrophe  :  so  he  finally  resolved  to  resign  his 
authority  and  set  out  again  in  search  of  adventures,  which  might 
help  him  forget  his  woes.  He  therefore  made  an  excursion  into 
the  land  of  the  Amazons,  where  Hercules  had  preceded  him, 
and  whence  he  brought  back  Hippolyte,  whom  he  married. 
Theseus  was  now  very  happy  indeed,  and  soon  all  his  hopes  were 
crowned  by  the  birth  of  a  son,  whom  he  called  Hippolytus. 
Shortly  after  this  joyful  event,  the  Amazons  invaded  his  country 
under  pretext  of  rescuing  their  kidnapped  queen,  and  in  the  bat- 
tle which  ensued  Hippolyte  was  accidentally  wounded  by  an  ar- 
row, and  breathed  her  last  in  Theseus'  arms. 

Theseus  next  set  out  with  an  Athenian  army  to  fight  Pirithous, 
king  of  the  Lapithae,  who  had  dared  to  declare  war ;  but  when 


260  CLASSICAL  MYTHS. 

the  armies  were  face  to  face,  the  two  chiefs,  seized  with  a  sudden 
liking  for  each  other,  simultaneously  cast  down  their  weapons, 
and,  falling  on  each  other's  necks,  embraced,  and  swore  an  eternal 
friendship. 

To  show  his  devotion  to  this  newly  won  friend,  Theseus  con- 
sented to  accompany  him  to  the  court  of  Adrastus,  King  of 
Centaurs  and  Argos,  and  witness  his  marriage  to  Hippodamia, 

Lapithae.  daughter  of  the  king.  Many  guests  were,  of  course, 
present  to  witness  the  marriage  ceremony,  among  others  Hercules 
and  a  number  of  the  Centaurs.  The  latter,  struck  with  admira- 
tion for  the  bride's  unusual  beauty,  made  an  attempt  to  kidnap 
her,  which  was  frustrated  by  the  Lapithae,  seconded  by  Theseus 
and  Hercules.  The  terrible  struggle  which  ensued  between  the 
conflicting  parties  has  ever  been  a  favorite  subject  in  art,  and 
is  popularly  known  as  the  "  Battle  between  the  Centaurs  and 
Lapithae." 

The  hotly  contested  bride  did  not,  however,  enjoy  a  very  long 
life,  and  Pirithous  soon  found  himself,  like  Theseus,  a  disconso- 

Theseusin  late  widower.  To  avoid  similar  bereavement  in 
Hades.  future,  they  both  resolved  to  secure  goddesses, 
who,  being  immortal,  would  share  their  thrones  forever.  Aided 
by  Pirithous,  Theseus  carried  off  Helen,  the  daughter  of  Jupiter 
(p.  311 ),  and,  as  she  was  still  but  a  child,  intrusted  her  to  the  care 
of  his  mother,  ^Ethra,  until  she  attained  a  suitable  age  for  matri- 
mony. Then,  in  return  for  Pirithous'  kind  offices,  he  accompanied 
him  to  Hades,  where  they  intended  to  carry  off  Proserpina. 

While  they  were  thus  engaged,  Helen's  twin  brothers,  Castor 
and  Pollux,  came  to  Athens,  delivered  her  from  capitivity,  and 
carried  her  home  in  triumph.  As  for  Theseus  and  Pirithous, 
their  treacherous  intention  was  soon  discovered  by  Pluto,  who  set 
the  first  on  an  enchanted  rock,  from  which  he  could  not  descend 
unassisted,  and  bound  the  second  to  the  constantly  revolving 
wheel  of  his  father,  Ixion. 

When  Hercules  was  in  Hades  in  search  of  Cerberus  (p.  229), 
he  delivered  Theseus  from  his  unpleasant  predicament,  and  thus 


THESEUS.— Canova. 
( Volksgarten,  Vienna.) 


(261) 


262  CLASSICAL   MYTHS. 

enabled  him  to  return  to  his  own  home,  where  he  now  expected 
to  spend  the  remainder  of  his  life  in  peace. 

Although  somewhat  aged  by  this  time,  Theseus  was  still  anx- 
ious to  marry,  and  looked  about  him  for  a  wife  to  cheer  his  lone- 

Phsedraand      liness.     Suddenly  he  remembered   that  Ariadne's 

Hippoiytus.  younger  sister,  Phaedra,  must  be  a  charming  young 
princess,  and  sent  an  embassy  to  obtain  her  hand  in  marriage. 
The  embassy  proved  successful,  and  Phaedra  came  to  Athens ; 
but,  young  and  extremely  beautiful,  she  was  not  at  all  delighted 
with  her  aged  husband,  and,  instead  of  falling  in  love  with  him, 
bestowed  all  her  affections  upon  his  son,  Hippoiytus,  a  virtuous 
youth,  who  utterly  refused  to  listen  to  her  proposals  to  elope.  In 
her  anger  at  finding  her  advances  scorned,  Phaedra  went  to 
Theseus  and  accused  Hippoiytus  of  attempting  to  kidnap  her. 
Theseus,  greatly  incensed  at  what  he  deemed  his  son's  dishon- 
orable behavior,  implored  Neptune  to  punish  the  youth,  who 
was  even  then  riding  in  his  chariot  close  by  the  shore.  In 
answer  to  this  prayer,  a  great  wave  suddenly  arose,  dashed  over 
the  chariot,  and  drowned  the  young  charioteer,  whose  lifeless 
corpse  was  finally  flung  ashore  at  Phaedra's  feet.  When  the  un- 
fortunate queen  saw  the  result  of  her  false  accusations,  she  con- 
fessed her  crime,  and,  in  her  remorse  and  despair,  hung  herself. 

As  for  Theseus,  soured  by  these  repeated  misfortunes,  he  grew 
so  stern  and  tyrannical,  that  he  gradually  alienated  his  people's 
Death  of  affections,  until  at  last  they  hated  him,  and  ban- 
Theseus,  ished  him  to  the  Island  of  Scyros,  where,  in  obe- 
dience to  a  secret  order,  Lycomedes,  the  king,  treacherously  slew 
him  by  hurling  him  from  the  top  of  a  steep  cliff  into  the  sea. 
As  usual,  when  too  late,  the  Athenians  repented  of  their  in- 
gratitude, and  in  a  fit  of  tardy  remorse  deified  this  hero,  and 
built  a  magnificent  temple  on  the  Acropolis  in  his  honor.  This 
building,  now  used  as  a  museum,  contains  many  relics  of  Greek 
art.  Theseus'  bones  were  piously  brought  back,  and  inhumed  hi 
Athens,  where  he  was  long  worshiped  as  a  demigod. 


CHAPTER    XXII. 

JASON. 

AT  lolcus,  in  Thessaly,  there  once  reigned  a  virtuous  king, 
,  with  his  good  wife,  Alcimede.  Their  happiness,  however, 
was  soon  disturbed  by  Pelias,  the  king's  brother,  who,  aided  by 
an  armed  host,  took  forcible  possession  of  the  throne.  ^Eson 
and  Alcimede,  in  fear  of  their  lives,  were  forced  to  resort  to  a 
hasty  and  secret  flight,  taking  with  them  their  only  son,  Jason. 

The  king  and  queen  soon  found  a  place  of  refuge,  but,  afraid 
lest  their  hiding  place  should  be  discovered  and  they  should  all 
be  slain  by  the  cruel  Pelias,  they  intrusted  their  son  to  the  Cen- 
taur Chiron,  revealing  to  him  alone  the  secret  of  the  child's  birth, 
and  bidding  him  train  him  up  to  avenge  their  wrongs. 

Chiron  discharged  his  duties  most  faithfully,  trained  the  young 
prince  with  great  care,  and  soon  made  him  the  wisest  and  most 
skillful  of  his  pupils.  The  years  spent  by  Jason  in  the  diligent 
acquisition  of  knowledge,  strength,  and  skill,  passed  very  quickly  ; 
and  at  last  the  time  came  when  Chiron  made  known  to  him 
the  secret  of  his  birth,  and  the  story  of  the  wrongs  inflicted  by 
Pelias,  the  usurper,  upon  his  unfortunate  parents. 

This  tale  aroused  the  young  prince's  anger,  and  made  him 
solemnly  vow  to  punish  his  uncle,  or  perish  in  the  attempt. 
Chiron  encouraged  him  to  start,  and  in  parting         jason's 
bade  him  remember  that  Pelias  alone  had  injured  vow- 

him,  but  that  all  the  rest  of  the  human  race  were  entitled  to  any 
aid  he  could  bestow.  Jason  listened  respectfully  to  his  tutor's 
last  instructions ;  then,  girding  his  sword  and  putting  on  his  san- 
dals, he  set  out  on  his  journey  to  lolcus. 

263 


264  CLASSICAL  MYTHS. 

It  was  early  in  the  spring,  and  the  young  man  had  not  gone 
very  far  before  he  came  to  a  stream,  which,  owing  to  the  usual 
freshets  of  the  season,  was  almost  impassable.  Jason,  however, 
quite  undaunted  by  the  rushing,  foaming  waters,  was  about  to 
attempt  the  crossing,  when  he  saw  an  aged  woman  not  far  from 
him,  gazing  in  helpless  despair  at  the  waters  she  could  not  cross. 

Naturally  kind-hearted  and  helpful,  and,  besides  that,  mindful 
of  Chiron's  last  recommendation,  Jason  offered  the  old  woman 
his  assistance,  proposing  to  carry  her  across  on  his  back  if  she 
would  but  lend  him  her  staff  to  lean  upon.  The  old  woman 
gladly  accepted  this  offer ;  and  a  few  moments  later,  Jason,  bend- 
ing beneath  his  strange  load,  was  battling  with  the  rapid  current. 

After  many  an  effort,  breathless  and  almost  exhausted,  Jason 
reached  the  opposite  bank,  and,  after  depositing  his  burden  there, 
scrambled  up  beside  her,  casting  a  Rueful  glance  at  the  torrent, 
which  had  wrenched  off  one  of  his  golden  sandals.  He  was  about 
to  part  from  the  old  dame  with  a  kindly  farewell,  when  she  was 
suddenly  transformed  into  a  large,  handsome,  imperious-looking 
woman,  whom,  owing  to  the  peacock  by  her  side,  he  immediately 
recognized  as  Juno,  queen  of  heaven.  He  bent  low  before  her, 
and  claimed  her  aid  and  protection,  which  she  graciously  prom- 
ised ere  she  vanished  from  his  sight. 

With  eager  steps  Jason  now  pressed  onward,  nor  paused  until 
he  came  in  view  of  his  native  city.  As  he  drew  near,  he  noticed 
an  unusual  concourse  of  people,  and  upon  inquiry  discovered 
that  Pelias  was  celebrating  a  festival  in  honor  of  the  immortal 
gods.  Up  the  steep  ascent  leading  to  the  temple  Jason  hastened, 
and  pressed  on  to  the  innermost  circle  of  spectators,  until  he 
stood  in  full  view  of  his  enemy  Pelias,  who,  unconscious  of  com- 
ing evil,  continued  offering  the  sacrifice. 

At  last  the  ceremony  was  completed,  and  the  king  cast  an  ar- 
rogant glance  over  the  assembled  people.  His  eyes  suddenly  fell 
The  one  upon  Jason's  naked  foot,  and  he  grew  pale  with 
horror  as  there  flashed  into  his  memory  the  rec- 
ollection of  an  ancient  oracle,  warning  him  to  beware  of  the 


JASO.Y.  265 

man  who  appeared  before  him  wearing  but  one  sandal.  Pelias 
tremblingly  bade  the  guards  bring  forth  the  uninvited  stranger. 
His  orders  were  obeyed  :  and  Jason,  confronting  his  uncle  boldly, 
summoned  him  to  make  a  full  restitution  of  the  power  he  had  so 
unjustly  seized. 

To  surrender  power  and  wealth  and  return  to  obscurity  was  not 
to  be  thought  of ;  but  Pelias  artfully  concealed  his  displeasure,  and 
told  his  nephew  that  they  would  discuss  the  matter  Phryxus  and 
and  come  to  an  amicable  understanding  after  the  Heiie. 
banquet,  which  was  already  spread  and  awaiting  their  presence. 
During  the  festive  meal,  bards  sang  of  all  the  heroic  deeds  ac- 
complished by  great  men  ;  and  Pelias,  by  judicious  flattery,  stim- 
ulated Jason  to  attempt  similar  feats.  At  last  the  musicians  re- 
cited the  story  of  Phryxus  and  Helle,  the  son  and  daughter  of 
Athamas  and  Nephele,  who,  to  escape  the  cruel  treatment  of 
their  stepmother,  Ino  (p.  174),  mounted  a  winged,  golden-fleeced 
ram  sent  by  Neptune  to  transport  them  to  Colchis. 

The  ram  flew  over  land  and  sea ;  but  Helle,  frightened  at  the 
sight  of  the  waves  tossing  far  beneath  her,  suddenly  lost  her  hold 
on  the  golden  fleece,  and  tumbled  off  the  ram's  back  into  a  por- 
tion of  the  sea  since  known  as  the  Hellespont, 

"Where  beauteous  Helle  found  a  watery  grave." 

MELEAGER. 

Phryxus,  more  fortunate  than  his  sister,  reached  Colchis  in 
safety,  and  in  gratitude  to  the  gods  sacrificed  the  ram  they  had 
sent  to  deliver  him,  and  hung  its  golden  fleece  on  a  tree,  near 
which  he  stationed  a  dragon  to  guard  it  night  and  day.  The 
bards  then  went  on  to  relate  that  the  glittering  trophy  still  hung 
there,  awaiting  a  hand  bold  enough  to  slay  the  dragon  and  bear 
it  off. 

This  tale  and  his  liberal  potations  greatly  excited  the  youth 
Jason;  and  Pelias,  perceiving  it.  hypocritically  regretted  his  in- 
ability to  win  the  golden  fleece,  and  softly  insinuated  that  young 
men  of  the  present  generation  were  not  brave  enough  to  risk 


266  CLASSICAL   MYTHS. 

their  lives  in  such  a  glorious  cause.    The  usurper's  crafty  remarks 

had  the  desired  effect ;  for  Jason  suddenly  sprang  from  his  seat, 

The  golden      and  vowed  he  would  go  in  quest  of  the  golden 

fleece.          fleece.      Pelias,  quite  certain  that  the  rash  youth 

would  lose  his  life  in  the  attempt,  and    thus  cause  no  more 

trouble,  with  much  difficulty  restrained  all  expressions  of  joy,  and 

dared  him  to  make  the  attempt. 

"  With  terror  struck,  lest  by  young  Jason's  hand 
His  crown  should  be  rent  from  him,  Pelias  sought 
By  machinations  dark  to  slay  his  foe. 
From  Colchis'  realm  to  bring  the  golden  fleece 
He  charged  the  youth." 

ORPHIC  ARGONAUTICS. 

When  Jason,  sobered  and  refreshed  by  a  long  night's  rest, 

perceived  how  foolish  had  been  his  vow,  he  would  fain  have 

The  Speaking    recalled    it ;   but,   mindful    of    Chiron's  teachings 

Oak.  eyer  to  be  true  to  jjjg  wor(jj  he  resolved  to  depart 

for  Colchis.  To  secure  Juno's  assistance,  he  began  by  visiting 
her  shrine  at  Dodona,  where  the  oracle,  a  Speaking  Oak,  assured 
him  of  the  goddess's  good  will  and  efficacious  protection.  Next 
the  Speaking  Oak  bade  him  cut  off  one  of  its  own  mighty  limbs, 
and  carve  from  it  a  figurehead  for  the  swift-sailing  vessel  which 
Minerva,  at  Juno's  request,  would  build  for  his  use  from  pine 
trees  grown  on  Mount  Pelion. 

Jason,  having  finished  his  figurehead,  found  that  it  too  had 

the  gift  of  speech,   and  that  it    would   occasionally  vouchsafe 

The  Argo  and     sage  counsel  in  the  direction  of  his  affairs.    When 

crew.          quite  completed,  Jason  called  his  vessel  the  Argo 

(swift-sailing),  and  speedily  collected  a  crew  of  heroes  as  brave 

as  himself,  among  whom  were  Hercules,  Castor,  Pollux,  Peleus, 

Admetus,  Theseus,  and  Orpheus,  who  were  all  glad  to  undertake 

the  perilous  journey  to  lands  unknown.     To  speed  them  on  their 

way,  Juno  then  bargained  with  ^Eolus  for  favorable  winds,  and 

forbade  any  tempest  which  might  work  them  harm. 


JASO.Y.  267 

"  Then  with  a  whistling  breeze  did  Juno  fill  the  sail, 
And  Argo,  self-impell'd,  shot  swift  before  the  gale." 

ONOMACRITUS  (Elton's  tr.). 

On  several  occasions  the  heroes  landed,  either  to  renew  their 
stock  of  provisions  or  to  recruit  their  strength,  but  in  general 
every  delay  brought  them  some  misfortune.  Once  story  of 
Hercules,  having  landed  with  a  youth  named  Hyias. 
Hylas  to  cut  wood  for  new  oars,  bade  the  youth  go  to  a  neigh- 
boring spring  and  draw  a  pitcher  of  water  to  quench  the  thirst 
produced  by  his  exertions.  The  youth  promptly  departed  ;  but 
as  he  bent  over  the  fountain,  the  nymphs,  enamored  with  his 
beauty,  drew  him  down  into  their  moist  abode  to  keep  them  com- 
pany. Hercules,  after  vainly  waiting  for  Hylas'  return,  went  in 
search  of  him,  but  could  find  no  trace  of  him,  and,  in  his  grief 
and  disappointment  at  the  death  of  his  young  friend,  refused  to 
continue  the  expedition,  and,  deserting  the  Argonauts,  made  his 
way  home  alone  and  on  foot. 

On  another  occasion,  when  Jason  visited  Phineus,  the  blind 
king  of  Thrace,  he  heard  that  this  monarch's  life  was  imbit- 
tered  by  the  Harpies,  vile  monsters,  part  woman,  phineus  and  the 
part  bird,  who  ate  or  befouled  all  the  food  placed  Harpies, 
before  him,  and  never  let  him  eat  a  mouthful  in  peace.  Hav- 
ing repeated  this  tale  to  his  companions,  the  two  sons  of  Bo- 
reas, who  were  also  in  the  Argo,  begged  permission  to  drive 
them  away.  Jason  could  not  refuse  their  request ;  and  the  two 
youths,  with  drawn  swords,  pursued  the  Harpies  to  the  Strophades 
Islands,  where  the  birds  promised  to  remain. 

Jason,  sailing  on  in  the  mean  while,  was  attacked  by  a  flock 
of  brazen-feathered  birds,  which  rained  their  sharp  plumage  down 
upon  the  Argonauts,  wounding  many  of  them  sorely.  The  cap- 
tain of  the  expedition,  seeing  weapons  were  of  no  avail  against 
these  foes,  consulted  the  figurehead,  and,  in  obedience  to  its 
directions,  clashed  his  arms  against  his  shield,  until,  terrified  by 
the  din,  the  brazen-feathered  birds  flew  rapidly  away,  uttering  dis- 
cordant cries  of  terror. 


268  CLASSICAL  MYTHS. 

Some  time  during  the  course  of  their  journey  the  Argonauts 
came  to  the  Symplegades, —  floating  rocks  which  continually 
The  crashed  together,  and  ground  to  powder  all  ob- 

Sympiegades.  jects  caught  between  them.  Jason  knew  he  was 
obliged  to  pass  between  these  rocks  or  give  up  the  expedition : 
so,  calculating  that  the  speed  of  his  vessel  was  equal  to  that  of  a 
dove  on  the  wing,  he  sent  one  out  before  him.  The  dove  flew 
safely  between  the  rocks,  losing  only  one  of  its  tail  feathers  as 
they  again  clashed  together.  Watching  his  opportunity,  there- 
fore, Jason  bade  his  men  row  swiftly.  The  Argo  darted  through 
the  opening,  and,  when  the  rocks  again  came  into  contact,  they 
merely  grazed  the  rudder.  As  a  vessel  had  passed  between  them 
unharmed,  their  power  for  evil  left  them,  and  they  were  chained 
fast  to  the  bottom  of  the  sea,  near  the  mouth  of  the  Bosporus, 
where  they  remained  immovable  like  any  other  rocks. 

The  Argonauts,  after  other  adventures  far  too  numerous  to 
recount  in  detail,  reached  the  Colchian  shores,  and  presented 

Arrival  at  themselves  before  yEetes,  the  king,  to  whom  they 
Colchis.  made  known  their  errand.  Loath  to  part  with 
his  golden  treasure,  JEetes  declared,  that,  before  Jason  could  ob- 
tain the  fleece,  he  must  catch  and  harness  two  wild,  fire-breathing 
bulls  dedicated  to  Vulcan,  and  make  use  of  them  to  plow  a  stony 
piece  of  ground  sacred  to  Mars.  This  done,  he  must  sow  the 
field  with  some  dragon's  teeth,  as  Cadmus  had  done  (p.  48),  con- 
quer the  giants  which  would  spring  up,  and,  last  of  all,  slay  the 
guardian  dragon,  or  the  fleece  would  never  be  his. 

One  of  these  tasks  would  have  sufficed  to  dismay  many  a  brave 

youth  ;  but  Jason  was  of  the  dauntless  kind,  and  merely  has- 

Medea's        tened  down  to  his  vessel  to  ask  the  figurehead 

aid-  how  he  had  better  proceed.     On  his  way  to  the 

seashore  he  met  the  king's  daughter,  Medea,  a  beautiful  young 

sorceress,  who  had  been  charmed  by  his  modest  but  firm  bearing, 

and  who  was  quite  ready  to  bring  her  magic  to  his  aid  if  he  would 

but  promise  to  marry  her.     Jason,  susceptible  to  her  attractions, 

and  free  from  any  conflicting  ties,  readily  agreed  to  her  proposal, 


JASON.  269 

and,  carrying  out  her  directions,  caught"  and  harnessed  the  fiery 
bulls,  plowed  the  field,  and  sowed  it  with  the  dragon's  teeth. 

"  And  how  he  yoked  the  bulls,  whose  breathings  fiery  glow'd, 
And  with  the  dragons'  teeth  the  furrow'd  acres  sow'd." 

ONOMACRITUS  (Elton's  tr.). 

But  when  he  saw  glittering  spears  and  helmets  grow  out  of 
the  ground,  and  beheld  the  close  ranks  of  giants  in  full  armor, 
he  was  filled  with  dismay,  and  would  have  fled  had  it  been  pos- 
sible. However,  aware  that  such  a  performance  would  insure  his 
ruin,  he  stood  his  ground,  and,  when  the  phalanx  was  quite  near 
him,  threw  a  handful  of  dust  full  in  the  giants'  faces.  Blinded 
with  the  sand,  the  giants  attacked  one  another,  and  in  a  short 
time  were  exterminated. 

"  They,  like  swift  dogs, 
Ranging  in  fierceness,  on  each  other  turn'd 
Tumultuous  battle.     On  their  mother  earth 
By  their  own  spears  they  sank ;  like  pines,  or  oaks, 
Strew'd  by  a  whirlwind  in  the  mountain  dale." 

APOLLONIUS  RHODIUS  (Elton's  tr.). 

Accompanied  by   Medea,  Jason  next   hastened  to   the  tree 
where  the  dragon  kept  guard  over  his  treasure.     An  opiate  pre- 
pared by  Medea's  magic  skill  soon  made  the  dragon       The  fleece 
forget  his  charge  in  a  profound  sleep,  and  enabled        captured. 
Jason  to  draw  near  enough  to  sever  his  frightful  head  from 
his  hideous  trunk.     Jason  then  tore  the  coveted  fleece  from  the 
branch  where  it  had  hung  for  many  a  year,  and  bore  it  in  triumph 
to  the  Argo. 

"  Exulting  Jason  grasped  the  shining  hide, 

His  last  of  labors,  and  his  envied  pride. 

Slow  from  the  groaning  branch  the  fleece  was  rent." 

FLACCUS  (Elton's  tr.). 

His  companions,  who  had  made  ready  for  a  hasty  departure, 
were  already  seated  at  their  oars ;  and,  as  soon  as  he  had  em- 
barked with  Medea  and  her  attendants,  the  Argo  shot  out  of  the 
Colchian  harbor. 


(27°) 


JASON   AND   THE  DRAGON.—  Salvator  Rosa. 


JASOX.  27 1 

"  How  softly  stole  from  home  the  luckless-wedded  maid, 
Through  darkness  of  the  night,  in  linen  robe  array'd ; 
By  Fate  to  Argo  led,  and  urged  by  soft  desire, 
Nor  yet  regarding  aught  her  father's  furious  ire." 

ONOMACRITUS  (Elton's  tr.). 

When  morning  dawned  and  ^Eetes  awoke,  he  heard  that  the 
dragon  was  slain,  the  fleece  stolen,  his  daughter  gone,  and  the  Gre- 
cian ship  far  out  of  sight.  No  time  was  lost  in  useless  wailing, 
but  a  vessel  was  hurriedly  launched  and  manned,  and  the  king 
in  person  set  out  in  pursuit  of  the  fugitives,  who  had,  moreover, 
taken  his  most  precious  treasure,  his  only  son  and  heir,  Absyrtus. 
Although  the  Colchian  men  were  good  sailors  and  skillful  rowers, 
they  did  not  catch  sight  of  the  Argo  until  they  came  near  the 
mouth  of  the  Danube,  and  ^Eetes  wildly  called  to  his  daughter 
to  return  to  her  home  and  to  her  father. 

" '  Stay  thy  rash  flight !  and,  from  the  distant  main, — 
For  oh !  thou  canst,  my  daughter,  —  turn  again. 
Whither  depart?  the  vessel  backward  steer; 
Thy  friends,  thy  still  fond  father,  wait  thee  here.'  " 

FLACCUS  (Elton's  tr.). 

But  Medea  had  no  wish  to  be  torn  away  from  Jason's  arms, 
and,  instead  of  listening  to  her  father's  entreaties,  urged  the 
Argonauts  to  redoubled  efforts.  Little  by  little  Death  of 
the  distance  between  the  two  vessels  grew  less;  Absyrtus. 
the  Colchian  rowers  were  gaining  upon  the  Greek ;  and  Medea 
saw,  that,  unless  she  found  means  to  delay  her  father,  he  would 
overtake  her  and  compel  her  to  return.  With  her  own  hands  she 
therefore  slew  her  little  brother,  Absyrtus,  and  cut  his  body  into 
pieces,  which  she  dropped  over  the  side  of  the  vessel  one  by  one. 
/Eetes,  a  helpless  witness  of  this  cruel,  awful  deed,  piously  col- 
lected his  son's  remains,  and,  in  pausing  to  do  so,  lost  sight  of 
the  Argo,  and  all  hope  of  recovering  his  unnatural  daughter :  so 
he  returned  sadly  to  Colchis,  where  he  buried  his  son's  remains 
with  due  solemnity. 


MEDEA.— Sichel. 


JASON.  273 

In  the  mean  while,  Pelias  had  reigned  contentedly  over  Thes- 
saly,  confident  that  Jason  would  never  return.     Imagine  his  dis- 
may, therefore,  when  he  heard  that  the  Argo  had          peiias 
arrived,  bearing  Jason,  now  the  proud  possessor  of       dethroned, 
the  renowned  golden  fleece.      Ere  he  could  take  measures  to 
maintain  his  usurped  authority,  Jason  appeared,  and  compelled 
him  to  resign  the  throne  in  favor  of  the  rightful  king,  JEson. 

Unfortunately,  ^Eson  was  now  so  old  and  decrepit,  that  power 
had  no  charms  for  him :  so  Jason  begged  Medea  to  use  her 
magic  in  his  behalf,  and  restore  him  to  the  vigor  and  beauty 
of  his  early  manhood.  To  gratify  Jason,  Medea  called  all  her 
magic  into  play,  and  by  some  mysterious  process  restored  vEson 
to  all  his  former  youth,  strength,  activity,  and  grace. 

"  Medea's  spells  dispersed  the  weight  of  years, 
And  ^Eson  stood  a  youth  'mid  youthful  peers." 

WORDSWORTH. 

As  soon  as  Pelias'  daughters  heard  of  this  miraculous  trans- 
formation, they  hastened  to  Medea  and  implored  her  to  give 
them  the  recipe,  that  they  might  rejuvenate  their       The  magic 
father  also.     The  sorceress  maliciously  bade  them         recipe, 
cut  their  father's  body  into  small  pieces,  and  boil  them  in  a  cal- 
dron with  certain  herbs,  declaring  that,  if  the  directions  were  care- 
fully carried  out,  the  result  would  be  satisfactory ;  but,  when  the 
too  credulous  maidens  carried  out  these  instructions,  they  only 
slew  the  father  whom  they  had  so  dearly  loved. 

Days  and  years  now  passed  happily  and  uneventfully  for  Jason 
and  Medea ;  but  at  last  their  affection  for  each  other  cooled,  and 
Jason  fell  in  love  with  Glauce,  or  Creusa.  Frantic  with  jealousy, 
Medea  prepared  and  sent  the  maiden  a  magic  robe,  which  she 
no  sooner  donned  than  she  was  seized  with  terrible  convulsions, 
in  which  she  died.  Medea,  still  full  of  resentment  against  Jason, 
then  slew  her  own  children,  and,  mounting  her  dragon  car,  de- 
parted, leaving  a  message  for  Jason,  purporting  that  the  Argo 
would  yet  cause  his  death. 


274  CLASSICAL   MYTHS. 

Jason,  a  victim  of  remorse  and  despair,  now  led  a  weary  and 
sorrowful  life,  and  every  day  he  wandered  down  to  the  shore,  where 
Death  of  ne  sat  under  the  shade  of  the  Argo's  hulk,  which  was 
jason.  slowly  rotting  away.  One  day,  while  he  was  sit- 
ting there  musing  over  his  youthful  adventures  and  Medea's 
strange  prophecy,  a  sudden  gale  detached  a  beam,  which,  falling 
on  his  head,  fractured  his  skull  and  caused  instantaneous  death. 

The  Argonautic  expedition  is  emblematic  of  the  first  long  mar- 
itime voyage  undertaken  by  the  Greeks  for  commercial  purposes  ; 
while  the  golden  fleece  which  Jason  brought  back  from  Colchis 
is  but  a  symbol  of  the  untold  riches  they  found  in  the  East,  and 
brought  back  to  their  own  native  land. 


CHAPTER    XXIII. 

THE    CALYDONIAN    HUNT. 

QENEUS  and  Althaea,  King  and  Queen  of  Calydon,  in  ^Etolia, 
were  very  happy  in  the  possession  of  a  little  son,  Meleager,  only  a 
few  days  old,  until  they  heard  that  the  Fates  had  de-         Birth  of 
creed  the  child  should  live  only  as  long  as  the  brand       Meleager. 
then  smoking  and  crackling  on  the  hearth.    The  parents  were  mo- 
tionless with  grief,  until  Althaea,  with  true  mother's  wit,  snatched 
the  brand  from  the  fire,  plunged  it  into  an  earthen  jar  filled  with 
water,  quenched  the  flames  which  were  consuming  it,  and,  care- 
fully laying  it  aside,  announced  her  intention  to  keep  it  forever. 

Meleager,  thus  saved  from  an  untimely  death  by  his  mother's 
presence  of  mind,  grew  up  a  brave  and  handsome  youth,  and 
joined  the  Argonautic  expedition.  While  he  was  absent,  his 
father  omitted  the  yearly  sacrifice  to  Diana,  who,  enraged  at  his 
neglect,  sent  a  monstrous  boar  to  devour  his  subjects  and  devas- 
tate his  realm.  Meleager,  on  his  return,  gathered  together  all 
the  brave  men  of  the  country,  and  instituted  a  great  hunt,  whose 
main  object  was  the  capture  or  death  of  the  obnoxious  boar. 

Jason,  Nestor,  Peleus,  Admetus,  Theseus,  Pirithous,  and  many 
other  noted  heroes,  came  at  his  call ;  but  the  attention  of  all  the 
spectators  was  specially  attracted  by  Castor  and  The 

Pollux,  and  by  the  fair  Atalanta,  daughter  of  lasius, 
King  of  Arcadia.     This  princess  had  led  a  very  adventurous 
life ;    for  when  but  a  babe,  her  father,   disappointed   to  see  a 
daughter  instead  of  the   longed-for  son,   had  exposed  her  on 
Mount  Parthenium  to  the  fury  of  the  wild  beasts.     Some  hunters, 

275 


276  CLASSICAL   MYTHS. 

passing  there  shortly  after  this,  found  the  babe  fearlessly  nursing 
from  a  she-bear,  and  in  compassion  carried  her  home,  where  they 
trained  her  to  love  the  chase. 

The  grand  Calydonian  Hunt  was  headed  by  Meleager  and 
Atalanta,  who  were  very  fond  of  each  other,  and  who  boldly  led 
the  rest  in  pursuit  of  the  boar.  From  one  end  of  the  Calydonian 
forest  to  the  other  the  boar  fled,  closely  pursued  by  the  hunt,  and 
was  at  last  brought  to  bay  by  Atalanta,  who  succeeded  in  dealing 
him  a  mortal  wound.  But  even  in  his  dying  struggles  the  boar 
would  have  killed  her,  had  not  Meleager  come  to  her  rescue  and 
given  him  his  deathblow. 

All  the  -hunt  now  gathered  around  the  boar's  corpse,  and 
watched  Meleager  take  its  spoil,  which  he  gallantly  bestowed 
Meleager  slays  upon  Atalanta.  Althaea's  two  brothers  were  pres- 

his  uncles.  en|.  aj-  ^e  hunt  j  and,  as  they  wished  to  possess  the 
skin,  they  bitterly  reproved  their  nephew  on  their  way  home  for 
giving  it  to  a  stranger.  They  added  taunts  to  this  reproof,  which 
so  angered  Meleager,  that,  in  a  sudden  fit  of  passion,  he  slew 
them  both.  When  Althaea  saw  her  brothers'  corpses,  and  heard 
that  they  had  been  slain  by  her  son,  she  vowed  to  avenge  their 
death,  drew  the  carefully  cherished  brand  from  its  hiding  place, 
and  threw  it  upon  the  fire  burning  brightly  on  her  hearth.  When 
the  last  bit  of  the  precious  wood  crumbled  away  into  ashes, 
Meleager  died.  All  Althaea's  affection  for  her  son  returned  when 
his  lifeless  corpse  was  brought  to  her,  and  in  her  despair  she  com- 
mitted suicide. 

In  the  mean  while,  Atalanta,  proud  of  her  skill  and  of  her 
spoil,  had  returned  to  her  father's  court,  where,  no  other  heir 

Ataianta's  having  appeared,  she  was  joyfully  received,  and 
race.  entreated  to  marry.  Many  suitors  came  to  woo 

the  fair  princess,  but  most  of  them  refrained  from  pressing  their 
suit  when  they  heard  what  conditions  were  imposed  upon  all  who 
would  obtain  her  hand ;  for  Atalanta  disapproved  of  marriage, 
and,  anxious  to  keep  her  freedom,  decreed  that  she  would  marry 
only  on  condition  that  her  suitor  would  beat  her  in  a  foot  race. 


('77) 


278  CLASSICAL   MYTHS. 

If  he  were  beaten,  however,  he  must  pay  for  his  defeat  by  for- 
feiting his  life. 

In  spite  of  these  barbarous  terms,  a  few  youths  had  tried  to 
outrun  her ;  but  they  failed,  and  their  lifeless  heads  were  exposed 

The  golden  on  the  racing  ground  to  deter  all  other  suitors.  Un- 
appies.  daunted  by  these  ghastly  trophies,  Hippomenes,  or 
Milanion,  once  came  to  Atalanta  and  expressed  a  desire  to  race 
with  her.  This  youth  had  previously  obtained  Venus'  protection, 
and  concealed  under  his  garment  her  gift  of  three  golden  apples. 
Atalanta  prepared  for  her  race  as  usual,  and,  as  usual,  passed  her 
rival ;  but  just  as  she  did  so,  one  of  the  golden  apples  rolled  at 
her  feet.  For  a  moment  she  paused,  then  stooped  and  picked  it 
up  ere  she  resumed  the  race.  Her  adversary  had  passed  her  and 
won  some  advance ;  but  she  soon  overtook  him,  when  a  second 
golden  apple  caused  a  second  delay.  She  was  about  to  reach 
the  goal  first,  as  usual,  when  a  third  golden  treasure  tempted  her 
to  pause,  and  enabled  Hippomenes  to  win  the  race. 

"  Hippomenes  turns  her  astray 
By  the  golden  illusions  he  flings  on  her  way." 

MOOKE. 

Atalanta  could  now  no  longer  refuse  to  marry,  and  her  nup- 
tials were  soon  celebrated.  In  his  happiness  at  having  won  such 
a  peerless  bride,  Hippomenes  forgot  to  pay  the  promised  thanks 
to  Venus,  for  which  offense  he  and  his  wife  were  severely  pun- 
ished by  being  transformed  into  a  pair  of  lions,  and  doomed  to 
drag  Cybele's  car  (p.  19). 

The  twin  brothers  Castor  and  Pollux,  the  Dioscuri,  or  Gemini, 
Castor  and       wno  had  greatly  distinguished  themselves  by  their 
Pollux.         daring  in  the  Calydonian   Hunt,  were  made  the 
deities  of  boxing,  wrestling,  and  all  equestrian  exercises. 

"Leda's  sons  I'll  sound, 
Illustrious  twins,  that  are 
For  wrestling  this,  and  for  the  race  renown'd." 

HORACE. 


THE   CALYDONIAN  HUNT.  279 

One  of  these  twins,  Castor,  was  a  mortal,  and  in  a  combat 
with  the  sons  of  Aphareus  was  slain.  Pollux,  who  was  immortal, 
then  implored  Jupiter  to  allow  him  to  die  also,  that  he  might  not 
be  parted  from  his  brother, — a  proof  of  brotherly  affection  which 
so  touched  the  father  of  the  gods,  that  he  permitted  Castor 
to  return  to  life  on  condition  that  Pollux  would  spend  half  his 
time  in  Hades. 

Later  on,  satisfied  that  even  this  sacrifice  was  none  too  great  for 
their  fraternal  love,  he  translated  them  both  to  the  skies,  where 
they  form  a  bright  constellation,  one  of  the  signs  of  the  zodiac. 
Castor  and  Pollux  are  generally  represented  as  handsome  youths, 
mounted  on  snowy  chargers. 

"  So  like  they  were,  no  mortal 

Might  one  from  other  know : 
White  as  snow  their  armor  was : 
Their  steeds  were  white  as  snow." 

MACAULAY. 

Their  appearance  under  certain  circumstances  foretold  success 
in  war,  and  the  Romans  believed  that  they  fought  at  the  head 
of  their  legions  at  the  celebrated  battle  of  Lake  Regillus.  Their 
name  was  also  given  to  meteors,  sometimes  seen  at  sea,  which  at- 
tach themselves  like  balls  of  fire  to  the  masts  of  ships, — a  sure 
sign,  according  to  the  sailors,  of  fine  weather  and  an  auspicious 

journey. 

"  Safe  comes  the  ship  to  haven, 

Through  billows  and  through  gales, 
If  once  the  Great  Twin  Brethren 
Sit  shining  on  the  sails." 

MACAULAV. 

Festivals  celebrated  in  honor  of  these  twin  brethren,  and 
called  the  Dioscuria,  were  held  in  many  places,  but  specially  in 
Sparta,  their  birthplace,  where  they  had  world-renowned  wres- 
tling matches. 


CHAPTER    XXIV. 

CEDIPUS. 

LAIUS  and  Jocasta,  King  and  Queen  of  Thebes,  in  Boeotia,  were 
greatly  delighted  at  the  birth  of  a  little  son.  In  their  joy  they  sent 
for  the  priests  of  Apollo,  and  bade  them  foretell  the  glorious  deeds 
their  heir  would  perform ;  but  all  their  joy  was  turned  to  grief 
when  told  that  the  child  was  destined  to  kill  his  father,  marry  his 
mother,  and  bring  great  misfortunes  upon  his  native  city. 

"  Laius  once, 

Not  from  Apollo,  but  his  priests,  receiv'd 
An  oracle,  which  said,  it  was  decreed 
He  should  be  slain  by  his  own  son." 

SOPHOCLES  (Francklin's  tr.). 

To  prevent  the  fulfillment  of  this  dreadful  prophecy,  Laius 
bade  a  servant  carry  the  new-born  child  out  of  the  city,  and  end 
its  feeble  little  life.  The  king's  mandate  was  obeyed  only  in 
part ;  for  the  servant,  instead  of  killing  the  child,  hung  it  up  by  its 
ankles  to  a  tree  in  a  remote  place,  and  left  it  there  to  perish  from 
hunger  and  exposure  if  it  were  spared  by  the  wild  beasts. 

When  he  returned,  none  questioned  how  he  had  performed  the 
appointed  task,  but  all  sighed  with  relief  to  think  that  the  prophecy 
could  never  be  accomplished.  The  child,  however,  was  not 
dead,  as  all  supposed.  A  shepherd  in  quest  of  a  stray  lamb  had 
heard  his  cries,  delivered  him  from  his  painful  position,  and  car- 
ried him  to  Polybus,  King  of  Corinth,  who,  lacking  an  heir  of 
his  own,  gladly  adopted  the  little  stranger.  The  Queen  of 
Corinth  and  her  handmaidens  hastened  with  tender  concern  to 

280 


(EDI PUS.  281 

bathe  the  swollen  ankles,  and  called  the  babe  CEdipus  (swollen- 
footed). 

Years  passed  by.  The  young  prince  grew  up  in  total  ignorance 
of  the  unfortunate  circumstances  under  which  he  had  made  his 
first  appearance  at  court,  until  one  day  at  a  banquet  one  of  his 
companions,  heated  by  drink,  began  to  quarrel  with  him,  and 
taunted  him  about  his  origin,  declaring  that  those  whom  he  had 
been  accustomed  to  call  parents  were  in  no  way  related  to  him. 

"  A  drunken  rev'ler  at  a  feast  proclaim'd 
That  I  was  only  the  supposed  sen 
Of  Corinth's  king." 

SOPHOCLES  (FrancK.in's  tr.). 

These  words,  coupled  with  a  few  meaning  glances  hastily  ex- 
changed by  the  guests,  excited  CEdipus'  suspicions,  and  made 
him  question  the  queen,  who,  afraid  lest  he  might 
do  himself  an  injury  in  the  first  moment  of  his  de-     consults  the 
spair  if  the  truth  were  revealed  to  him,  had  recourse 
to  prevarication,  and  quieted  him  by  the  assurance  that  he  was 
her  beloved  son. 

Something  in  her  manner,  however,  left  a  lingering  doubt  in 
CEdipus'  mind,  and  made  him  resolve  to  consult  the  oracle  of 
Delphi,  whose  words  he  knew  would  reveal  the  exact  truth.  He 
therefore  went  to  this  shrine ;  but,  as  usual,  the  oracle  answered 
somewhat  ambiguously,  and  merely  warned  him  that  fate  had  de- 
creed he  should  kill  his  father,  marry  his  mother,  and  cause  great 

woes  to  his  native  city. 

"  I  felt 

A  secret  anguish,  and  unknown  to  them 
Sought  out  the  Pythian  oracle;  in  vain; 
Touching  my  parents,  nothing  could  I  learn  ; 
But  dreadful  were  the  mis'ries  it  denounc'd 
Against  me ;  'twas  my  fate,  Apollo  said, 
To  wed  my  mother,  to  produce  a  race 
Accursed  and  abhorr'd ;  and  last,  to  slay 
My  father." 

SOPHOCLES  (Francklin's  tr.). 


282  CLASSICAL  MYTHS. 

What  !  kill  Polybus,  who  had  ever  been  such  an  indulgent 
father,  and  marry  the  queen,  whom  he  revered  as  his  mother! 
cEdipus  leaves  Never !  Rather  than  perpetrate  these  awful  crimes, 
Corinth.  an(j  brjng  destruction  upon  the  people  of  Corinth, 
whom  he  loved,  he  would  wander  away  over  the  face  of  the 
earth,  and  never  see  city  or  parents  again. 

'•  Lest  I  should  e'er  fulfill  the  dire  prediction, 
Instant  I  fled  from  Corinth,  by  the  stars 
Guiding  my  hapless  journey." 

SOPHOCLES  (Francklin's  tr.). 

But  his  heart  was  filled  with  intense  bitterness,  and  as  he  jour- 
neyed he  did  not  cease  to  curse  the  fate  which  drove  him  away 
from  home.  After  some  time,  he  came  to  three  crossroads ;  and 
while  he  stood  there,  deliberating  which  direction  to  take,  a 
chariot,  wherein  an  aged  man  was  seated,  came  rapidly  toward 
him. 

The  herald  who  preceded  it  haughtily  called  to  the  youth  to 
stand  aside  and  make  way  for  his  master ;  but  CEdipus,  who,  as 

Death  of  Polybus'  heir,  was  accustomed  to  be  treated  with 
Laius.  deference,  resented  the  commanding  tone,  and  re- 
fused to  obey.  Incensed  at  what  seemed  unparalleled  impu- 
dence, the  herald  struck  the  youth,  who,  retaliating,  stretched 
his  assailant  lifeless  at  his  feet. 

This  affray  attracted  the  attention  of  the  master  and  other  ser- 
vants. They  immediately  attacked  the  murderer,  who  slew  them 
all,  thus  unconsciously  accomplishing  the  first  part  of  the  proph- 
ecy; for  the  aged  man  was  Laius,  his  father,  journeying  in- 
cognito from  Thebes  to  Delphi,  where  he  wished  to  consult  the 
oracle. 

CEdipus  then  leisurely  pursued  his  way  until  he  came  to  the 
gates  of  Thebes,  where  he  found  the  whole  city  in  an  uproar, 
"  because  the  king  had  been  found  lifeless  by  the  roadside,  with 
all  his  attendants  slain  beside  him,  presumably  the  work  of  a  band 
of  highway  robbers  or  assassins." 


(ED I  PUS.  283 

"  He  fell 

By  strangers,  murdered,  for  so  fame  reports, 
By  robbers  in  the  place  where  three  ways  meet." 

SOPHOCLES  (Francklin's  tr.). 

Of  course,  CEdipus  did  not  connect  the  murder  of  such  a  great 
personage  as  the  King  of  Thebes  by  an  unknown  band  of  rob- 
bers, with  the  death  he  had  dealt  to  an  arrogant  old  man,  and 
he  therefore  composedly  inquired  what  the  second  calamity  al- 
luded to  might  be. 

With  lowered  voices,  as  if  afraid  of  being  overheard,  the  The- 
bans  described  the  woman's  head,  bird's  wings  and  claws,  and 
lion's  body,  which  were  the  outward  presentment  The 

of  a  terrible  monster  called  the  Sphinx,  which  had  Sphinx, 
taken  up  its  station  without  the  city  gates  beside  the  highway, 
and  would  allow  none  to  pass  in  or  out  without  propounding 
a  difficult  riddle.  Then,  if  any  hesitated  to  give  the  required 
answer,  or  failed  to  give  it  correctly,  they  were  mercilessly  de- 
voured by  the  terrible  Sphinx,  which  no  one  dared  attack  or 
could  drive  away. 

While  listening  to  these  tidings,  CEdipus  saw  a  herald  pass 
along  the  street,  proclaiming  that  the  throne  and  the  queen's 
hand  would  be  the  reward  of  any  man  who  dared  encounter  the 
Sphinx,  and  was  fortunate  enough  to  free  the  country  of  its  terrible 
presence. 

As  CEdipus  attached  no  special  value  to  the  life  made  deso- 
late by  the  oracle's  predictions,  he  resolved  to  slay  the  dreaded 
monster,  and,  with  that  purpose  in  view,  advanced  The 

slowly,  sword  in  hand,  along  the  road  where  lurked          riddle< 
the  Sphinx.     He  soon  found  the  monster,  which  from  afar  pro- 
pounded the  following  enigma,  warning  him,  at  the  same  time,  that 
he  forfeited  his  life  if  he  failed  to  give  the  right  answer: — 

"  Tell  me,  what  animal  is  that 
Which  has  four  feet  at  morning  bright, 
Has  two  at  noon,  and  three  at  night  ?  " 

PRIOR. 


(284) 


CEDIPUS   AND   THE   SPHINX.— Ingres 
(  Louvre,  Paris.) 


U'.DIFUS.  285 

CEdipus  was  not  devoid  of  intelligence,  by  any  manner  of 
means,  and  soon  concluded  that  the  animal  could  only  be  man, 
who  in  infancy,  when  too  weak  to  stand,  creeps  along  on  hands 
and  knees,  in  manhood  walks  erect,  and  in  old  age  supports  his 
tottering  steps  with  a  staff. 

This  reply,  evidently  as  correct  as  unexpected,  was  received 
by  the  Sphinx  with  a  hoarse  cry  of  disappointment  and  rage  as  it 
turned  to  fly ;  but  ere  it  could  effect  its  purpose,  cEdipus  marries 
it  was  stayed  by  CEdipus,  who  drove  it  at  his  his  mother- 
sword's  point  over  the  edge  of  a  neighboring  precipice,  where 
it  was  killed.  On  his  return  to  the  city,  CEdipus  was  received 
with  cries  of  joy,  placed  on  a  chariot,  crowned  King  of  Thebes, 
and  married  to  his  own  mother,  Jocasta,  unwittingly  fulfilling  the 
second  fearful  clause  of  the  prophecy. 

A  number  of  happy  and  moderately  uneventful  years  now 
passed  by,  and  CEdipus  became  the  father  of  two  manly  sons, 
Eteocles  and  Polynices,  and  two  beautiful  daughters,  Ismene  and 
Antigone ;  but  prosperity  was  not  doomed  to  favor  him  long. 

Just  when  he  fancied  himself  most  happy,  and  looked  forward 
to  a  peaceful  old  age,  a  terrible  scourge  visited  Thebes,  causing 
the  death  of  many  faithful  subjects,  and  filling  the  The 

hearts  of  all  with  great  terror.  The  people  now  plague, 
turned  to  him,  beseeching  him  to  aid  them,  as  he  had  done  once 
before  when  threatened  by  the  Sphinx ;  and  CEdipus  sent  mes- 
sengers to  consult  the  Delphic  oracle,  who  declared  the  plague 
would  cease  only  when  the  former  king's  murderers  had  been 
found  and  punished. 

"  The  plague,  he  said,  should  cease, 
When  those  who  murder'd  Laius  were  discover'd, 
And  paid  the  forfeit  of  their  crime  by  death, 
Or  banishment." 

SOPHOCLES  (Francklin's  tr. ). 

Messengers  were  sent  in  every  direction  to  collect  all  possible 
information  about  the  murder  committed  so  long  ago,  and  after 
a  short  time  they  brought  unmistakable  proofs  which  convicted 


286  CLASSICAL   MYTHS. 

CEdipus  of  the  crime.  At  the  same  time  the  guilty  servant  con- 
fessed that  he  had  not  killed  the  child,  but  had  exposed  it  on  a 
mountain,  whence  it  was  carried  to  Corinth's  king. 

The  chain  of  evidence  was  complete,  and  now  CEdipus  discov- 
ered that  he  had  involuntarily  been  guilty  of  the  three  crimes  to 

Death  of  avoid  which  he  had  fled  from  Corinth.  The  rumor 
jocasta.  Of  these  dreadful  discoveries  soon  reached  Jocasta, 
who,  in  her  despair  at  finding  herself  an  accomplice,  committed 
suicide. 

CEdipus,  apprised  of  her  intention,  rushed  into  her  apartment 
too  late  to  prevent  its  being  carried  out,  and  found  her  lifeless. 
This  sight  was  more  than  the  poor  monarch  could  bear,  and  in 
his  despair  he  blinded  himself  with  one  of  her  ornaments. 

"  He  pluck'd  from  off  the  robe  she  wore 
A  golden  buckle  that  adorn'd  her  side, 
And  buried  in  his  eyes  the  sharpen'd  point, 
Crying,  he  ne'er  again  would  look  on  her, 
Never  would  see  his  crimes  or  mis'ries  more, 
Or  those  whom  guiltless  he  could  ne'er  behold, 
Or  those  to  whom  he  now  must  sue  for  aid." 

SOPHOCLES  (Francklin's  tr.). 

Penniless,  blind,  and  on  foot,  he  then  left  the  scene  of  his 
awful  crimes,  accompanied  by  his  daughter  Antigone,  the  only 

Death  of        one  wri°  loved  him  still,  and  who  was  ready  to 

CEdipus.  guide  his  uncertain  footsteps  wherever  he  wished 
to  go.  After  many  days  of  weary  wandering,  father  and  daugh- 
ter reached  Colonus,  where  grew  a  mighty  forest  sacred  to  the 
avenging  deities,  the  Furies,  or  Eumenides. 

Here  CEdipus  expressed  his  desire  to  remain,  and,  after  bidding 
his  faithful  daughter  an  affectionate  farewell,  he  groped  his  way 
into  the  dark  forest  alone.  The  wind  rose,  the  lightning  flashed, 
the  thunder  pealed  ;  but  although,  as  soon  as  the  storm  was  over, 
a  search  was  made  for  CEdipus,  no  trace  of  him  was  ever  found, 
and  the  ancients  fancied  that  the  Furies  had  dragged  him  down 
to  Hades  to  receive  the  punishment  of  all  his  crimes. 


(EDI PUS.  287 

Antigone,  no  longer  needed  by  her  unhappy  father,  slowly 
wended  her  way  back  to  Thebes,  where  she  found  that  the  plague 
had  ceased,  but  that  her  brothers  had  quarreled  Eteocies  and 
about  the  succession  to  the  throne.  A  compromise  Poiynices. 
was  finally  decided  upon,  whereby  it  was  decreed  that  Eteocies, 
the  elder  son,  should  reign  one  year,  and  at  the  end  of  that 
period  resign  the  throne  to  Poiynices  for  an  equal  space  of  time, 
both  brothers  thus  exercising  the  royal  authority  in  turn.  This 
arrangement  seemed  satisfactory  to  Eteocies ;  but  when,  at  the 
end  of  the  first  year,  Poiynices  returned  from  his  travels  in  for- 
eign lands  to  claim  the  scepter,  Eteocies  refused  to  relinquish 
it,  and,  making  use  of  his  power,  drove  the  claimant  away. 

"  Thou  seest  me  banish'd  from  my  native  land, 
Unjustly  banish'd,  for  no  other  crime 
But  that  I  strove  to  keep  the  throne  of  Thebes, 
By  birthright  mine,  from  him  who  drove  me  thence, 
The  young  Eteocies :  not  his  the  claim 
By  justice,  nor  to  me  his  fame  in  arms 
Superior ;  but  by  soft,  persuasive  arts 
He  won  the  rebel  city  to  his  love." 

SOPHOCLES  (Francklin's  tr.). 

Poiynices'  nature  was  not  one  to  endure  such  a  slight  patiently  ; 
and  he  hastened  off  to  Argos,  where  he  persuaded  Adrastus,  the 
king,  to  give  him  his  daughter  in  marriage,  and  aid  The  seven  chiefs 
him  to  recover  his  inheritance.  True  to  his  prom-  before  Thebes- 
ise,  Adrastus  soon  equipped  a  large  army,  which  was  led  by 
seven  determined  and  renowned  chiefs,  ready  to  risk  all  in  the 
attempt,  and  either  win  or  perish. 

"  Seven  valiant  leaders  march 
To  Thebes,  resolved  to  conquer  or  to  die." 

SOPHOCLES  (Francklin's  tr.). 

Their  bravery  was  of  no  avail,  however,  for  Thebes  was  well 
fortified  and  defended  ;  and  after  a  seven-years'  siege  they  found 
themselves  no  nearer  their  goal  than  at  the  beginning  of  the  war. 
Weary  of  the  monotony  of  this  quarrel,  the  conflicting  armies 


288  CLASSICAL   MYTHS. 

finally  decreed  that  the  difference  should  be  settled  by  a  duel 
between  the  inimical  brothers,  who  no  sooner  found  themselves 
face  to  face,  than  they  rushed  upon  each  other  with  such  ani- 
mosity that  both  fell. 

By  order  of  Jocasta's  father,  Creon,  the  corpse  of  Eteocles  re- 
ceived all  the  honors  of  a  Greek  burial,  while  that  of  Polynices 
was  left  on  the  plain,  a  prey  to  the  birds  and  wild  beasts. 

"  Polynices'  wretched  carcass  lies 
Unburied,  unlamented,  left  expos'd 
A  feast  for  hungry  vultures  on  the  plain." 

SOPHOCLES  (Francklin's  tr.). 

Then  a  proclamation  was  issued,  that,  if  any  dared  bury  the 

body  of  the  fallen  prince,  he  would  incur  the  penalty  of  being 

Antigone's       buried    alive.      Heedless    of  this   injunction    and 

devotion.        Ismene's  prayers  to  refrain  from  endangering  her 

own  life,  Antigone  dug  a  grave  for  her  brother's  remains,  and, 

unaided,  fulfilled  the.  various  customary  funeral  rites.     Her  task 

was  almost  completed,   when   the   guards  discovered  her,  and 

dragged  her  into  the  presence  of  Creon,  who,  although  she  was  a 

relative  and  the  promised  wife  of  his  son  Haemon,  condemned 

her  to  death. 

"  Let  her  be  carried  instant  to  the  cave, 
And  leave  her  there  alone,  to  live,  or  die ; 
Her  blood  rests  not  on  us :  but  she  no  longer 
Shall  breathe  on  earth." 

SOPHOCLES  (Francklin's  tr.). 

Haemon  pleaded  passionately  for  her  life ;  but,  when  he  saw 
his  prayers  were  vain,  he  ran  to  the  place  where  Antigone  was 
Antigone  and     confined,  sprang  into  her  narrow  cell,  wound  his 
Hsemon.         arms  closely  around  her,  and  refused  to  leave  her. 
There  they  were  walled  in ;   Antigone's  sufferings  were  cut  mer- 
cifully short  by  asphyxiation ;  and,  when  Haemon  saw  she  was 
no  more,  he,  in  utter  despair,  thrust  his  dagger  into  his  side,  and 
perished  too. 


ANTIGONE  AND  ISMENE.— TeschendoiC 


(289) 


290  CLASSICAL   MYTHS. 

"  On  himself  bent  all  his  wrath, 
Full  in  his  side  the  weapon  fix'd,  but  still, 
Whilst  life  remain'd,  on  the  soft  bosom  hung 
Of  the  dear  maid,  and  his  last  spirit  breath'd 
O'er  her  pale  cheek,  discolor'd  with  his  blood. 
Thus  lay  the  wretched  pair  in  death  united, 
And  celebrate  their  nuptials  in  the  tomb." 

SOPHOCLES  (Francklin's  tr.). 

Ismene,  the  last  of  CEdipus'  unfortunate  race,  died  of  grief, 
and  thus  the  prophecy  was  fully  accomplished.  The  Theban 
war  was  not,  however,  entirely  ended,  for,  when  both  brothers  fell, 
the  two  armies  flew  to  attack  each  other ;  and  such  was  their 
courage,  that  many  fell,  and  only  one  of  the  seven  chiefs  returned 
to  Argos.  There  he  patiently  waited  until  the  children  of  these 
brave  captains  were  old  enough  to  bear  arms,  and  then  proposed 
to  them  to  attack  Thebes  and  avenge  their  fathers'  death. 

The  Epigoni  (or  those  who  come  after),  as  these  youths  are 
collectively  designated,  received  this  proposal  with  rapture ;  and 
Thebes,  again  besieged,  fell  into  their  hands,  and  was  duly  sacked, 
burned,  and  destroyed,  as  the  Delphic  oracle  had  foretold  so 
many  years  before. 


CHAPTER    XXV. 

BELLEROPHON. 

BELLEROPHON,  a  brave  young  prince,  the  grandson  of  Sisyphus, 
King  of  Corinth,  had  the  great  misfortune  to  kill  his  own  brother 
while  hunting  in  the  forest.  His  grief  was,  of  course,  intense ; 
and  the  horror  he  felt  for  the  place  where  the  catastrophe  had 
occurred,  added  to  his  fear  lest  he  should  incur  judicial  punish- 
ment for  his  involuntary  crime,  made  him  flee  to  the  court  of 
Argos,  where  he  took  refuge  with  Proetus,  the  king,  who  was 
also  his  kinsman. 

He  had  not  sojourned  there  very  long,  before  Anteia,  the 
queen,  fell  in  love  with  him ;  and  although  her  husband,  Prcetus, 
treated  her  with  the  utmost  kindness,  she  made  Anteia's 
up  her  mind  to  desert  him,  and  tried  to  induce  treachery. 
Bellerophon  to  elope  with  her.  Too  honest  to  betray  a  man  who 
had  treated  him  as  a  friend,  the  young  prince  refused  to  listen  to 
the  queen's  proposals.  His  refusal  was  to  cost  him  dear,  how- 
ever ;  for,  when  Anteia  saw  that  the  youth  would  never  yield  to 
her  wishes,  she  became  very  angry  indeed,  sought  her  husband, 
and  accused  the  young  stranger  of  crimes  he  had  never  even 
dreamed  of  committing. 

Proetus,  indignant  at  what  he  deemed  deep  treachery  on  the 
part  of  an  honored  guest,  yet  reluctant  to  punish  him  with  his 
own  hand  as  he  deserved,  sent  Bellerophon  to  lobates,  King  of 
Lycia,  with  a  sealed  message  bidding  -him  put  the  bearer  to 
death. 

Quite  unconscious  of  the  purport  of  this  letter,  Bellerophon 
traveled  gayly  onward,  and  presented  himself  before  lobates,  who 

291 


292  CLASSICAL   MYTHS. 

received  him  very  hospitably,  and,  without  inquiring  his  name  or 
errand,  entertained  him  royally  for  many  days.  After  some  time, 
Bellerophon  suddenly  remembered  the  sealed  message  intrusted 
to  his  care,  and  hastened  to  deliver  it  to  lobates,  with  many 
apologies  for  his  forgetfulness. 

With  blanched  cheeks  and  every  outward  sign  of  horror,  the 

king  read  the  missive,  and  then  fell  into  a  deep  reverie.     He  did 

The  not  like  to  take  a  stranger's  life,  and  still  could 

Chimaera.  not  refuse  to  comply  with  Proetus'  urgent  request : 
so,  after  much  thought,  he  decided  to  send  Bellerophon  to  attack 
the  Chimsera,  a  terrible  monster  with  a  lion's  head,  a  goat's  body, 
and  a  dragon's  tail. 

"  Dire  Chimaera's  conquest  was  enjoin'd; 
A  mingled  monster,  of  no  mortal  kind ; 
Behind,  a  dragon's  fiery  tail  was  spread ; 
A  goat's  rough  body  bore  a  lion's  head ; 
Her  pitchy  nostrils  flaky  flames  expire ; 
Her  gaping  throat  emits  infernal  fire." 

HOMER  (Pope's  tr.). 

His  principal  motive  in  choosing  this  difficult  task  was,  that, 
although  many  brave  men  had  set  forth  to  .slay  the  monster,  none 
had  ever  returned,  for  one  and  all  had  perished  in  the  attempt. 
Although  very  courageous,  Bellerophon's  heart  beat  fast  with 
fear  when  told  what  great  deed  he  must  accomplish ;  and  he  left 
lobates'  palace  very  sorrowfully,  for  he  dearly  loved  the  king's 
fair  daughter,  Philonoe,  and  was  afraid  he  would  never  see  her 
again. 

While  thus  inwardly  bewailing  the  ill  luck  which  had  so  per- 
sistently dogged   his  footsteps,   Bellerophon  suddenly  saw   Mi- 
Minerva's       nerva  appear  before  him  in  all  her  splendor,  and 
advice.         heard  her  inquire  in  gentle  tones  the  cause  of  his 
too  evident  dejection.     He  had  no  sooner  apprised  her  of  the 
difficult  task  appointed  him,  than  she  promised  him  her  aid,  and 
before  she  vanished  gave  him  a  beautiful  golden  bridle,  which 
she  bade  him  use  to  control  Pegasus. 


19 


294  CLASSICAL  MYTHS. 

Bridle  in  hand,  Bellerophon  stood  pondering  her  words,  and 
gradually  remembered  that  Pegasus  was  a  wonderful  winged 
steed,  born  from  the  blood  which  fell  into  the  foam  of  the  sea 
from  Medusa's  severed  head  (p.  244).  This  horse,  as  white  as  snow, 
and  gifted  with  immortal  life  as  well  as  incredible  speed,  was  the 
favorite  mount  of  Apollo  and  the  Muses,  who  delighted  in  taking 
aerial  flights  on  his  broad  back ;  and  Bellerophon  knew  that  from 
time  to  time  he  came  down  to  earth  to  drink  of  the  cool  waters 
of  the  Hippocrene  (a  fountain  which  had  bubbled  forth  where 
his  hoofs  first  touched  the  earth),  or  to  visi^  the  equally  limpid 
spring  of  Pirene,  near  Corinth. 

Bellerophon  now  proceeded  to  the  latter  fountain,  where,  after 
lingering  many  days  in  the  vain  hope  of  catching  even  a  glimpse 

Pegasus  °f  the  winged  steed,  he  finally  beheld  him  sailing 
bridled.  downward  in  wide  curves,  like  a  bird  of  prey. 
From  his  place  of  concealment  in  a  neighboring  thicket,  Beller- 
ophon watched  his  opportunity,  and,  while  the  winged  steed  was 
grazing,  he  boldly  vaulted  upon  his  back. 

Pegasus,  who  had  never  before  been  ridden  by  a  mortal,  reared 
and  pranced,  and  flew  up  to  dizzy  heights ;  but  all  his  efforts 
failed  to  unseat  the  brave  rider,  who,  biding  his  time,  finally 
thrust  Minerva's  golden  bit  between  his  teeth,  and  immediately 
he  became  gentle  and  tractable.  Mounted  upon  this  incom- 
parable steed,  Bellerophon  now  went  in  search  of  the  winged 
monster  Chimsera,  who  had  given  birth  to  the  Nemean  lion  and 
to  the  riddle-loving  Sphinx. 

From  an  unclouded  sky  Bellerophon  and  Pegasus  swooped 
suddenly  and  unexpectedly  down  upon  the  terrible  Chimaera, 

Chimsera  whose  fiery  breath  and  great  strength  were  of  no 
slain.  avail ;  for  after  a  protracted  struggle  Bellerophon 

and  Pegasus  were  victorious,  and  the  monster  lay  lifeless  upon 
the  blood-soaked  ground. 

This  mighty  deed  of  valor  accomplished,  Bellerophon  returned 
to  lobates,  to  report  the  success  of  his  undertaking ;  and,  although 
the  king  was  heartily  glad  to  know  the  Chimsera  was  no  more, 


BELLEROPHON.  295 

he  was  very  sorry  to  see  Bellerophon  safe  and  sound,  and  tried 
to  devise  some  other  plan  to  get  rid  of  him. 

He  therefore  sent  him  to  fight  the  Amazons ;  but  the  hero, 
aided  by  the  gods,  defeated  these  warlike  women  also,  and  re- 
turned to  Lycia,  where,  after  escaping  from  an  ambush  posted 
by  the  king  for  his  destruction,  he  again  appeared  victorious  at 
court. 

These  repeated  and  narrow  escapes  from  certain  death  con- 
vinced lobates  that  the  youth  was  under  the  special  protection 
of  the  gods  ;  and  this  induced  the  king  not  only  to  forego  further 
attempts  to  slay  him,  but  also  to  bestow  upon  the  young  hero  his 
daughter's  hand  in  marriage. 

Bellerophon,  having  now  attained  his  dearest  wishes,  might 
have  settled  down  in  peace  ;  but  his  head  had  been  utterly  turned 
by  the  many  lofty  flights  he  had  taken  upon  Peg-     Beiierophon's 
asus'  back,  and,  encouraged  by  the  fulsome  flat-  falL 

tery  of  his  courtiers,  he  finally  fancied  himself  the  equal  of  the 
immortal  gods,  and  wished  to  join  them  in  their  celestial  abode. 

Summoning  his  faithful  Pegasus  once  more,  he  rose  higher 
and  higher,  and  would  probably  have  reached  Olympus'  heights, 
had  not  Jupiter  sent  a  gadfly,  which  stung  poor  Pegasus  so  cruelly, 
that  he  shied  viciously,  and  flung  his  too  confident  rider  far  down 
to  the  earth  below. 

"  Bold  Bellerophon  (so  Jove  decreed 
In  wrath)  fell  headlong  from  the  fields  of  air." 

WORDSWORTH. 

This  fall,  which  would  doubtless  have  killed  any  one  but  a 
mythological  hero,  merely  deprived  Bellerophon  of  his  eyesight ; 
and  ever  after  he  groped  his  way  disconsolately,  thinking  of  the 
happy  days  when  he  rode  along  the  paths  of  air,  and  gazed  upon 
the  beautiful  earth  at  his  feet. 

Bellerophon,  mounted  upon  Pegasus,  winging  his  flight  through 
the  air  or  fighting  the  Chimaera,  is  a  favorite  subject  in  sculpture 
and  painting,  which  has  frequently  been  treated  by  ancient  artists, 


296  CLASSICAL  MYTHS. 

a  few  of  whose  most   noted  works  are   still  extant  in  various 
museums. 

This  story,  like  many  others,  is  merely  a  sun  myth,  in  which 
Bellerophon,  the  orb  of  day,  rides  across  the  sky  on  Pegasus, 
the  fleecy  white  clouds,  and  slays  Chimaera,  the  dread  monster 
of  darkness,  which  he  alone  can  overcome.  Driven  from  home 
early  in  life,  Bellerophon  wanders  throughout  the  world  like  his 
brilliant  prototype,  and,  like  it,  ends  his  career  in  total  darkness. 


CHAPTER    XXVI. 

MINOR    DIVINITIES. 

ACCORDING  to   the  ancients'  belief,  every  mountain,  valley, 
plain,  lake,  river,  grove,  and  sea  was  provided  with  some  lesser 
deity,  whose  special  duty  was  assigned  by  the  pow-     Naiades  and 
erful  gods  of  Olympus.     These  were,  for  instance,        Oreades. 
the  Naiades,  beautiful  water  nymphs,  who  dwelt  in  the  limpid 
depths  of  the  fountains,  and  were  considered  local  patrons  of 
poetry  and  song. 

The  Oreades,  or  mountain  nymphs,  were  supposed  to  linger  in 
the  mountain  solitudes,  and  guide  weary  travelers  safely  through 
their  rocky  mazes. 

"  Mark  how  the  climbing  Oreads 
Beckon  thee  to  their  Arcades  !  " 

EMERSON. 

As  for  the  Napaeae,  they  preferred  to  linger  in  the  valleys,  which 
were  kept  green  and  fruitful  by  their  watchful      Napaaand 
care,  in  which  task  they  were  ably  seconded  by        Dryades. 
the  Dryades,  the  nymphs  of  vegetation. 

The  very  trees  in  the  forest  and  along  the  roadside  were  sup- 
posed to  be  each  under  the  protection  of  a  special  divinity  called 
Hamadryad,  said  to  live  and  die  with  the  tree  intrusted  to  her 

care. 

"  When  the  Fate  of  Death  is  drawing  near, 
First  wither  on  the  earth  the  beauteous  trees, 
The  bark  around  them  wastes,  the  branches  fall, 
And  the  nymph's  soul,  at  the  same  moment,  leaves 

The  sun's  fair  light." 

HOMER. 

297 


298  CLASSICAL  MYTHS. 

A  sweet  and  touching  story  was  told  by  the  ancients  of  a 
mortal  who  was  changed  into  a  Hamadryad.     This  young  girl, 
story  of        whose  name  was  Dryope,  was  a  beautiful  young 
Dryope.         princess,  the   daughter  of  Baucis,  so  bright  and 
clever,  that  all  who  knew  her  loved  her  dearly.     Of  course,  as 
soon  as  she  was  old  enough  to  think  of  marriage,  a  host  of  suit- 
ors asked  her  hand,  each  eager  to  win  for  his  bride  one  so  beau- 
tiful and  gifted. 

"  No  nymph  of  all  CEchalia  could  compare, 
For  beauteous  form,  with  Dryope  the  fair." 

OVID  (Pope's  tr.). 

Fully  aware  of  the  importance  of  making  a  wise  choice,  Dryope 
took  her  time,  and  finally  decided  to  marry  Andrsemon,  a  worthy 
young  prince,  who  possessed  every  charm  calculated  to  win  a 
fair  girl's  heart.  The  young  people  were  duly  married,  and  daily 
rejoiced  in  their  happiness,  which  seemed  almost  too  great  for 
earth,  when  they  became  the  parents  of  a  charming  little  son. 

Every  day  Dryope  carried  the  child  along  the  banks  of  a 
little  lake  close  by  the  palace,  where  bloomed  a  profusion  of  gay- 
colored  flowers. 

"  A  lake  there  was,  with  shelving  banks  around, 
Whose  verdant  summit  fragrant  myrtles  crown'd. 
Those  shades,  unknowing  of  the  Fates,  she  sought, 
And  to  the  Naiads  flowery  garlands  brought ; 
Her  smiling  babe  (a  pleasing  charge)  she  press'd 
Between  her  arms." 

OVID  (Pope's  tr.). 

One  day,  while  wandering  there  as  usual,  accompanied  by  her 
sister,  she  saw  a  lotus  blossom,  and  pointed  it  out  to  her  little 
son.  He  no  sooner  saw  the  brilliant  flower,  than  he  stretched 
out  his  little  hands.  To  please  him,  the  fond  mother  plucked  it 
and  gave  it  to  him. 

She  had  scarcely  done  so,  when  she  noticed  drops  of  blood 
trickling  from  the  broken  stem  ;  and  while  she  stood  there,  speech- 


MINOR  DIVINITIES.  299 

less  with  wonder,  a  voice  was  heard  accusing  her  of  having  slain 
Lotis,  a  nymph,  who,  to  escape  the  pursuit  of  Priapus,  god  of 
the  shade,  had  assumed  the  guise  of  a  flower. 

"  Lotis  the  nymph  (if  rural  tales  be  true), 
As  from  Priapus'  lawless  love  she  flew, 
Forsook  her  form  ;   and  fixing  here  became 
A  flowery  plant,  which  still  preserves  her  name." 

OVID  (Pope's  tr.). 

Recovering  from  her  first  speechless  terror,  Dryope  turned  to 
flee,  with  a  pitiful  cry  of  compassion  on  her  pale  lips,  but,  to  her 
astonishment,  she  could  not  leave  the  spot :  her  feet  seemed  rooted 
to  the  ground.  She  cast  a  rapid  glance  downward  to  ascertain 
what  could  so  impede  her  progress,  and  noticed  the  rough  bark 
of  a  tree  growing  with  fearful  rapidity  all  around  her. 

Higher  and  higher  it  rose,  from  her  knees  to  her  waist,  and 
still  it  crept  upward,  in  spite  of  her  frantic  attempts  to  tear  it 
away  from  her  shapely  limbs.  In  despair  she  raised  her  trem- 
bling hands  and  arms  to  heaven  to  implore  aid  ;  but,  ere  the  words 
were  spoken,  her  arms  were  transformed  into  twisted  branches, 
and  her  hands  were  filled  with  leaves. 

Nothing  human  now  remained  of  poor  Dryope  except  her  sweet, 
tear-stained  face ;  but  this  too  would  soon  vanish  under  the  all- 
involving  bark.  She  therefore  took  hasty  leave  of  her  father, 
sister,  husband,  and  son,  who,  attracted  by  her  first  cry,  had  rushed 
to  give  her  all  the  assistance  in  their  power.  The  last  words 
were  quickly  spoken,  but  none  too  soon,  for  the  bark  closed  over 
the  soft  lips  and  hid  the  lovely  features  from  view. 

"  She  ceased  at  once  to  speak,  and  ceased  to  be, 
And  all  the  nymph  was  lost  within  the  tree : 
Yet  latent  life  through  her  new  branches  reign'd, 
And  long  the  plant  a  human  heat  retain'd." 

OVID  (Pope's  tr.). 

One  of  Dryope's  last  requests  had  been  that  her  child  might 
often  play  beneath  her  shady  branches ;  and  when  the  passing 


300  CLASSICAL  MYTHS. 

winds    rustled    through   her   leaves,   the  ancients    said   it   was 
"  Dryope's  lone  lulling  of  her  child." 

The  male  divinities  of  the  woods,  which  were  also  very  nu- 
merous, were  mostly  Satyrs,  —  curious  beings  with  a  man's  body 
and  a  goat's  legs,  hair,  and  horns.     They  were 

Satyrs  and  Pan.  . 

all  passionately  fond  of  music  and  revelry,  and 
were  wont  to  indulge  in  dancing  at  all  times  and  in  all  places. 
The  most  famous  among  all  the  Satyrs  was  Silenus,  Bacchus' 
tutor ;  and  Pan,  or  Consentes,  god  of  the  shepherds,  and  the  per- 
sonification of  nature.  The  latter  was  the  reputed  son  of  Mercury 
and  a  charming  young  nymph  named  Penelope ;  and  we  are 
told,  that,  when  his  mother  first  beheld  him,  she  was  aghast,  for 
he  was  the  most  homely  as  well  as  the  most  extraordinary  little 
creature  she  had  ever  seen.  His  body  was  all  covered  with 
goat's  hair,  and  his  feet  and  ears  were  also  those  of  a  goat. 

Amused  at  the  sight  of  this  grotesque  little  divinity,  Mercury 
carried  him  off  to  Olympus,  where  all  the  gods  turned  him  into 
ridicule.  Pan  was  widely  worshiped  in  olden  times,  however ; 
and  the  ancients  not  only  decked  his  altars  with  flowers,  but  sang 
his  praises,  and  celebrated  festivals  in  his  honor. 

•  "He  is  great  and  he  is  just, 

He  is  ever  good,  and  must 
Be  honored.     Daffodillies, 
Roses,  pinks,  and  loved  lilies, 
Let  us  fling,  while  we  sing, 
Ever  Holy  !     Ever  Holy  ! 
Ever  honored  !     Ever  young ! 
The  great  Pan  is  ever  sung  !  " 

BEAUMONT  and  FLETCHER. 

Pan  was  equally  devoted  to  music,  the  dance,  and  pretty  nymphs. 

He   saw   one    of   the   nymphs,  Syrinx,  whom   he   immediately 

story          loved ;   but  unfortunately  for  him,  she,  frightened 

of  Syrinx.  at  njs  appearance,  fled.  Exasperated  by  her  per- 
sistent avoidance  of  him,  Pan  once  pursued  and  was  about  to 
overtake  her,  when  she  paused,  and  implored  Gaea  to  protect  her. 


MINOR  DIVINITIES.  301 

The  prayer  was  scarcely  ended,  when  she  found  herself  changed 
into  a  clump  of  reeds,  which  the  panting  lover  embraced,  think- 
ing he  had  caught  the  maiden,  who  had  stood  in  that  very  spot 
a  few  moments  before. 

His  deception  and  disappointment  were  so  severe,  that  they 
wrung  from  him  a  prolonged  sigh,  which,  passing  through  the 
rustling  reeds,  produced  plaintive  tones.  Pan,  seeing  Syrinx  had 
gone  forever,  took  seven  pieces  of  the  reed,  of  unequal  lengths, 
bound  them  together,  and  fashioned  from  them  a  musical  instru- 
ment, which  was  called  by  the  name  of  the  fair  nymph. 

"  Fair,  trembling  Syrinx  fled 
Arcadian  Pan,  with  such  a  fearful  dread. 
Poor  nymph  !  —  poor  Pan  !  — how  he  did  weep  to  find 
Naught  but  a  lovely  sighing  of  the  wind 
Along  the  reedy  stream;  a  half-heard  strain 
Full  of  sweet  desolation  —  balmy  pain." 

KEATS. 

Pan  was  supposed  to  delight  in  slyly  overtaking  belated  trav- 
elers and  inspiring  them  with  sudden  and  unfounded  fears, — from 
him  called  "panic."  He  is  generally  represented  with  a  syrinx  and 
shepherd's  crook,  and  a  pine  garland  around  his  misshapen  head. 

The  Romans  also  worshiped  three  other  divinities  of  nature 
entirely  unknown  to  the  Greeks;  i.e.,  Silvanus,  Faunus,  and 
Fauna,  the  latter's  wife,  who  had  charge  over  the 

Silvan  deities. 

woods  and   plants.     Pnapus,   god   of  the  shade, 

was  also  a  rural  deity,  but  his  worship  was  only  known  along 

the  shores  of  the  Hellespont. 

The  fairest  among  all  the  lesser  gods  was  doubtless  Flora, 
goddess  of  flowers,  who  married  Zephyrus,  the  gentle  god  of  the 
south  wind,  and  wandered  happily  with  him  from       Fiora  and 
place  to  place,  scattering  her  favors  with  lavish       Zephyrus. 
generosity.     She  was  principally  worshiped  by  young  girls,  and 
the  only  offerings  ever  seen  on  her  altars  were  fruits  and  garlands 
of  beautiful  flowers.     Her  festivals,  generally  celebrated  in  the 
month  of  May,  were  called  the  Floralia. 


PSYCHE  AND  PAN.— Thumann. 


M1XOR  DIVINITIES.  303 

"Crowds  of  nymphs, 
Soft  voiced,  and  young,  and  gay, 
In  woven  baskets  bringing  ears  of  corn, 
Roses  and  pinks  and  violets  to  adorn 
The  shrine  of  Flora  in  her  early  May." 

KEATS. 

Vertumnus  and  Pomona  were  the  special  divinities  of  the  gar- 
den and  orchard.  They  are  represented  with  pruning  knives  and 
shears,  gardening  implements,  and  fruits  and  flow-  Vertumnus  and 
ers.  Pomona  was  very  coy  indeed,  and  had  no  Pomona, 
desire  to  marry.  Vertumnus,  enamored  of  her  charms,  did  his 
best  to  make  her  change  her  mind,  but  she  would  not  even  listen 
to  his  pleadings. 

At  last  the  lover  had  recourse  to  stratagem,  disguised  himself 
as  an  aged  crone,  entered  Pomona's  garden,  and  inquired  how 
it  happened  that  such  a  very  charming  young  woman  should 
remain  so  long  unmarried.  Then,  having  received  a  mocking  an- 
swer, he  began  to  argue  with  her,  and  finally  extracted  an  avowal, 
that,  among  all  the  suitors,  one  alone  was  worthy  of  her  love, 
Vertumnus.  In  his  sudden  joy  the  lover  cast  aside  his  disguise, 
and  clasped  her  to  his  breast.  Pomona,  perceiving  that  she  had 
hopelessly  betrayed  herself,  no  longer  refused  to  wed,  but  allowed 
him  to  share  her  labors,  and  help  her  turn  the  luscious  fruit 
to  ripen  in  the  autumn  sunshine. 

The  lesser  divinities  of  the  sea  were  almost  as  numerous  as 

those  of  the  land,  and  included  the  lovely  Ocean- 
Sea  deities. 

ides  and  Nereides,  together  with  their  male  com- 
panions the  Tritons,  who  generally  formed  Neptune's  regal  train. 
One  of  the  lesser  sea  gods,  Glaucus,  was  once  a  poor  fisher- 
man, who  earned  his  daily  bread  by  selling  the  fish  he  caught  in 
his  nets.     On  one  occasion  he  made  an  extra  fine        story  of 
haul,  and  threw  his  net  full  of  fish  down  upon  a 
certain  kind  of  grass,  which  the  flapping  fish  immediately  nibbled, 
and,  as  if  endowed  with  extraordinary  powers,  bounded  back 
into  the  waves  and  swam  away. 


304  CLASSICAL  MYTHS. 

Greatly  surprised  at  this  occurrence,  Glaucus  began  chewing 
a  few  blades  of  this  peculiar  grass,  and  immediately  felt  an  insane 
desire  to  plunge  into  the  sea,  —  a  desire  which  soon  became  so 
intense,  that  he  could  no  longer  resist  it,  but  dived  down  into 
the  water.  The  mere  contact  with  the  salt  waves  sufficed  to 
change  his  nature ;  and  swimming  about  comfortably  in  the  ele- 
ment, where  he  now  found  himself  perfectly  at  home,  he  began 
to  explore  the  depths  of  the  sea. 

"  '  I  plung'd  for  life  or  death.     To  interknit 
One's  senses  with  so  dense  a  breathing  stuff 
Might  seem  a  work  of  pain ;  so  not  enough 
Can  I  admire  how  crystal-smooth  it  felt, 
And  buoyant  round  my  limbs.     At  first  I  dwelt 
Whole  days  and  days  in  sheer  astonishment ; 
Forgetful  utterly  of  self-intent; 
Moving  but  with  the  mighty  ebb  and  flow. 
Then,  like  a  new  fledg'd  bird  that  first  doth  show 
His  spreaded  feathers  to  the  morrow  chill, 
I  try'd  in  fear  the  pinions  of  my  will. 
'Twas  freedom  !  and  at  once  I  visited 
The  ceaseless  wonders  of  this  ocean-bed. '  " 

KEATS. 

Glaucus  was  worshiped  most  particularly  by  the  fishermen  and 
boatmen,  whose  vessels  he  was  supposed  to  guard  from  evil,  and 
whose  nets  were  often  filled  to  overflow  through  his  intervention. 


CHAPTER    XXVII. 

THE    TROJAN    WAR. 

JUPITER,  father  of  the  gods,  once  fell  deeply  in  love  with  a 
beautiful  sea  nymph  named  Thetis,  the  daughter  of  Nereus  and 
Doris, — 

"  Thetis  of  the  silver  feet,  and  child 
Of  the  gray  Ancient  of  the  Deep." 

HOMER  (Bryant's  tr.). 

He  was  very  anxious  indeed  to  marry  her,  but,  before  taking 
such  an  important  step,  deemed  it  prudent  to  consult  the  Fates, 
who  alone  could  inform  him  whether  this  union      jupuer  and 
would  be  for  his  happiness  or  not.      It  was  very         Thetis, 
fortunate  for  him  that  he  did  so,  for  the  three  sisters  told  him 
that  Thetis  was  destined  to  be  the  mother  of  a  son  who  would 
far  outshine  his  father. 

Jupiter  carefully  pondered  this  reply,  and  concluded  to  re- 
nounce the  marriage  rather  than  run  any  risk  of  being  forced 
to  surrender  his  power  to  one  greater  than  he.  Thetis'  hand  he 
then  decreed  should  be  given  in  marriage  to  Peleus,  King  of 
Athens,  who  had  loved  her  faithfully,  and  had  long  sued  in  vain. 

Thetis,  however,  was  not  at  all  anxious  to  accept  the  hand  of 
a  mere  mortal  after  having  enjoyed  the  attention  of  the  gods  (for 
Neptune  also  had  wooed  her),  and  demurred,  until  Jupiter  prom- 
ised his  own  and  the  gods'  attendance  at  the  marriage  feast. 
The  prospect  of  this  signal  honor  reconciled  the  maiden,  and 
the  wedding  preparations  were  made  in  the  coral  caves  of  her 
father,  Nereus,  beneath  the  foam-crested  waves. 

305 


306  CLASSICAL    MYTHS. 

Thither,  mindful  of  his  promise,  came  Jupiter,  with  all  the 
gods  of  Olympus. 

"  Then,  with  his  Queen,  the  Father  of  the  gods 
Came  down  from  high  Olympus'  bright  abodes ; 
Came  down,  with  all  th'  attending  deities." 

CATULLUS. 

The  guests  took  their  seats,  and  pledged  the  bride  and  groom 
in  brimming  cups  of  wine, —  Bacchus'  wedding  gift  to  Thetis. 
All  was  joy  and  merriment,  when  an  uninvited  guest  suddenly 
appeared  in  the  banquet-hall.  All  present  immediately  recog- 
nized Eris,  or  Discordia,  goddess  of  discord,  whose  snaky  locks, 
sour  looks,  and  violent  temper  had  caused  her  to  be  omitted  on 
the  wedding  list,  — 

"  The  Abominable,  that  uninvited  came 
Into  the  fair  Peleian  banquet-hall." 

TENNYSON. 

This  omission  angered  her,  and  made  her  determine  to  have 

her  revenge  by  troubling  the  harmony  which  evidently  reigned 

The  apple  of     among  all  the  guests.     For  a  moment  she  stood 

discord.         beside  the  bountiful  board,  then  threw  upon  it  a 

golden  apple,  and,  exhaling  over  the  assembly  her  poisoned  breath, 

she  vanished.     The  general  attention  was,  of  course,  turned  upon 

the  golden  fruit,  whereon  the  inscription  "  To  the  fairest "  was 

clearly  traced. 

All  the  ladies  were  at  first  inclined  to  contend  for  the  prize ; 
but  little  by  little  all  the  claimants  withdrew  except  Juno, 
Minerva,  and  Venus,  who  hotly  disputed  for  its  possession.  Juno 
declared  that  the  queen  of  the  gods,  in  her  majesty  and  power, 
surely  had  the  best  right ;  Minerva,  that  the  beauty  of  wisdom 
and  knowledge  far  surpassed  external  charms  ;  and  Venus  smiled, 
and  archly  requested  to  be  informed  who  might  assert  greater 
claims  than  the  goddess  of  beauty. 

The  dispute  grew  more  and  more  bitter,  and  the  irate  god- 
desses called  upon  the  guests  to  award  the  prize  to  the  most  deserv- 


THE    TROJAN   WAR.  307 

ing ;  but  the  guests,  one  and  all,  refused  to  act  as  umpires,  for  the 
apple  could  be  given  to  but  one,  and  the  two  others  would  be  sure 
to  vent  their  anger  and  disappointment  upon  the  judge  who  passed 
over  their  charms  in  favor  of  a  third.  The  final  decision  was 
therefore  referred  to  Paris,  who,  although  performing  the  lowly 
duties  of  a  shepherd,  was  the  son  of  Priam  and  Hecuba,  King 
and  Queen  of  Troy. 

When  but  a  babe,  Paris  had  been  exposed  on  a  mountain  to 
perish,  because  an  oracle  had  predicted  that  he  would  cause  the 
death  of  his  family  and  the  downfall  of  his  native  city.  Although 
thus  cruelly  treated,  he  had  not  perished,  but  had  been  adopted 
by  a  shepherd,  who  made  him  follow  his  own  calling. 

When  Paris  reached  manhood,  he  was  a  very  handsome  and 
attractive  young  man,  and  won  the  love  of  CEnone,  a  beautiful 
nymph  to  whom  he  was  secretly  united.     Their        Paris  and 
happiness,  however,  was  but  fleeting,  for  the  Fates         CEnone. 
had  decreed  that  Paris'  love  for  the  fair  CEnone  would  soon  die. 

"  The  Fate, 

That  rules  the  will  of  Jove,  had  spun  the  days 
Of  Paris  and  CEnone." 

QUINTUS  SMYRN^US  (Elton's  tr.). 

Instead  of  lingering  by  the  fair  nymph's  side,  Paris  wandered 
off  to  a  lonely  mountain  top,  where  the  three  goddesses  sought 
him  to  judge  their  quarrel.     Minerva,  in  glitter-     judgment  of 
ing  armor,  first  appeared  before  his  dazzled  eyes, 
and  proffered  the  bribe  of  extensive  wisdom  if  he  would  but  give 
her  the  preference. 

Juno,  queen  of  heaven,  next  appeared  in  royal  robes  and 
insignia,  and  whispered  that  he  should  have  great  wealth  and 
unlimited  power  were  he  only  to  award  the  prize  to  her. 

"  She  to  Paris  made 
Proffer  of  royal  power,  ample  rule 
Unquestion'd,  overflosving  revenue 
Wherewith  to  embellish  state,  '  from  many  a  vale 


308  CLASSICAL   MYTHS. 

And  river-sunder'd  champaign  clothed  with  corn, 
Or  labor'd  mine  undrainable  of  ore. 
Honor,'  she  said,  'and  homage,  tax  and  toll, 
From  many  an  inland  town  and  haven  large, 
Mast-throng'd  beneath  her  shadowing  citadel 
In  glassy  bays  among  her  tallest  towers.'  " 

TENNYSON. 

But  all  Minerva's  and  Juno's  charms  and  bribes  were  forgotten 
when  Venus,  in  her  magic  cestus,  appeared  before  the  judge. 
This  artful  simplicity  was  the  result  of  much  thought,  for  we 
are  told  that 

"  Venus  oft  with  anxious  care 
Adjusted  twice  a  single  hair." 

COWPER. 

Then,  trembling  lest  her  efforts  should  prove  vain,  she  gently 
drew  near  the  youth,  and  softly  promised  him  a  bride  as  fair  as 
herself,  in  return  for  the  coveted  golden  apple. 

Won  either  by  her  superior  attractions  or  by  her  alluring  bribe, 
Paris  no  longer  hesitated,  but  placed  the  prize  in  her  extended 
palm. 

"  Ere  yet  her  speech  was  finished,  he  consign'd 
To  her  soft  hand  the  fruit  of  burnished  rind ; 
And  foam-born  Venus  grasp'd  the  graceful  meed, 
Of  war,  of  evil  war,  the  quickening  seed." 

COLUTHUS  (Elton's  tr.). 

This  act  of  partiality,  of  course,  called  down  upon  him  the  wrath 
and  hatred  of  Juno  and  Minerva,  who,  biding  their  time,  watched 
for  a  suitable  opportunity  to  avenge  themselves ;  while  Venus, 
triumphant,  and  anxious  to  redeem  her  promise,  directed  Paris 
to  return  to  Troy,  make  himself  known  to  his  parents,  —  who,  the 
goddess  promised,  would  welcome  him  warmly, —  and  obtain 
from  them  a  fleet  in  which  he  might  sail  to  Greece. 

In  obedience  to  these  instructions,  Paris  ruthlessly  abandoned 
the  fair  and  faithful  CEnone,  and,  joining  a  band  of  youthful 
shepherds,  went  to  Troy,  under  pretext  of  witnessing  a  solemn 


VENUS  WITH   THE  APPLE.- Thorwaldsen. 


20 


310  CLASSICAL    MYTHS. 

festival.  There  he  took  part  in  the  athletic  games,  distinguished 
himself,  and  attracted  the  attention  of  his  sister  Cassandra. 
Paris'  return  This  princess  was  noted  for  her  beauty,  and  it  is 
to  Troy.  saj(j  ^ad  even  been  wooed  by  Apollo,  who,  hop- 
ing to  win  her  favor,  bestowed  upon  her  the  gift  of  prophecy. 
For  some  reason  the  god's  suit  had  not  prospered ;  and,  as  he 
could  not  take  back  the  power  conferred,  he  annulled  it  by  mak- 
ing her  hearers  refuse  to  credit  her  words. 

Cassandra  immediately  called  her  parents'  attention  to  the  ex- 
traordinary likeness  Paris  bore  to  her  other  brothers ;  and  then, 
breaking  out  into  a  prophetic  strain,  she  foretold  that  he  would 
bring  destruction  upon  his  native  city.  Priam  and  Hecuba, 
scorning  her  prophecy,  joyfully  received  their  long-lost  son,  lov- 
ingly compelled  him  to  take  up  his  abode  in  their  palace,  and 
promised  to  atone  for  their  past  neglect  by  granting  his  every 
wish. 

Still  advised  by  Venus,  Paris  soon  expressed  a  desire  to  sail 
for  Greece,  under  the  pretext  of  rescuing  Hesione,  his  father's 
Paris  sails  for  sister,  whom  Hercules  had  carried  off,  after  be- 
Greece.  sieging  Troy.  He  was  promptly  provided  with 
several  well-manned  galleys,  and  soon  after  appeared  at  the  court 
of  Menelaus,  King  of  Sparta,  whose  young  wife,  Helen,  was  the 
most  beautiful  woman  of  her  time,  if  we  are  to  believe  the  testi- 
mony of  her  contemporaries. 

"  Full  threescore  girls,  in  sportive  flight  we  stray'd, 
Like  youths  anointing,  where  along  the  glade 
The  baths  of  cool  Eurotas  limpid  play'd. 
But  none,  of  all,  with  Helen  might  compare, 
Nor  one  seem'd  faultless  of  the  fairest  fair. 
As  morn,  with  vermeil  visage,  looks  from  high, 
When  solemn  night  has  vanish'd  suddenly; 
When  winter  melts,  and  frees  the  frozen  hours, 
And  spring's  green  bough  is  gemm'd  with  silvery  flowers  : 
So  bloom'd  the  virgin  Helen  in  our  eyes, 
With  full  voluptuous  limbs,  and  towering  size : 


THE    TROJAN   WAR.  311 

In  shape,  in  height,  in  stately  presence  fair, 

Straight  as  a  furrow  gliding  from  the  share ; 

A  cypress  of  the  gardens,  spiring  high, 

A  courser  in  the  cars  of  Thessaly. 

So  rose-complexion'd  Helen  charm'd  the  sight; 

Our  Sparta's  grace,  our  glory,  and  delight." 

THEOCRITUS  (Elton's  tr.). 

A  daughter  of  Jupiter  and  Leda  (whom  Jove  had  courted  in 
the  guise  of  a  snow-white  swan),  Helen  had  many  suitors  who 
ardently  strove  to  win  her  favor.     The  noblest,         Helen's 
bravest,  and  best  came  to  woo  and  hoped  to  win ;         suitors, 
but  all  were  left  in  suspense,  as  the  maiden  did  not  show  any 
preference,  and  refused  to  make  known  her  choice. 

Tyndareus,  Helen's  stepfather,  thinking  the  rejected  suitors 
might  attempt  to  steal  her  away  from  any  husband  she  selected, 
proposed  that  all  the  candidates  for  her  hand  should  take  a 
solemn  oath,  binding  themselves  to  respect  the  marital  rights  of 
the  favored  suitor,  and  help  him  regain  possession  of  his  wife 
should  any  one  venture  to  kidnap  her. 

"This  was  cause 

To  Tyndarus  her  father  of  much  doubt, 
To  give,  or  not  to  give  her,  and  how  best 
To  make  good  fortune  his :  at  length  this  thought 
Occurr'd,  that  each  to  each  the  wooers  give 
Their  oath,  and  plight  their  hands,  and  on  the  flames 
Pour  the  libations,  and  with  solemn  vows 
Bind  their  firm  faith  that  him,  who  should  obtain 
The  virgin  for  his  bride,  they  all  would  aid ; 
If  any  dar'd  to  seize  and  bear  her  off, 
And  drive  by  force  her  husband  from  her  bed, 
All  would  unite  in  arms,  and  lay  his  town, 
Greek  or  Barbaric,  level  with  the  ground." 

EURIPIDES  (Potter's  tr.). 

All  agreed  to  this  proposal,  the  oath  was  taken,  and  Helen, 
whose  deliberations  had  come  to  an  end,  bestowed  her  hand 
upon  Menelaus,  King  of  Sparta. 


312  CLASSICAL  MYTHS. 

On  his  arrival  at  Sparta,  in  Lacedaemonia,  Paris  was  received 

with  graceful  hospitality  by  Menelaus  and  Helen.     He  had  not 

Abduction  of     sojourned  there  many  days,  however,  before  the 

Helen.         kjng  was  cane(j  away  from  home,  and  departed, 

confiding  to  his  wife  the  care  of  entertaining  his  princely  guest. 

During  his  absence,  Paris,  urged  by  Venus,  courted  Helen  so 

successfully,  that  she  finally  consented  to  elope  with  him,  and 

allowed  herself  to  be  borne  away  in  triumph  to  Troy. 

"Then  from  her  husband's  stranger-sheltering  home 
He  tempted  Helen  o'er  the  ocean  foam." 

COLUTHUS  (Elton's  tr.). 

Menelaus,  on  his  return  from  Crete,  discovered  his  guest's 
treachery,  and  swore  never  to  rest  satisfied  until  he  had  recovered 
Preparations  ms  truant  wife,  and  punished  her  seducer.  Messen- 
for  war.  gerg  were  sent  in  haste  in  every  direction,  to  sum- 
mon Helen's  former  suitors  to  keep  their  oath,  and  join  Menelaus 
at  Aulis  with  men  and  weapons.  All  came  promptly  at  his  call 
except  Ulysses,  King  of  Ithaca,  who,  to  console  himself  for 
Helen's  refusal  of  his  suit,  had  married  her  cousin,  Penelope,  and 
had  now  no  dearer  wish  than  to  linger  by  her  side  and  admire 
his  infant  son,  Telemachus. 

In  the  presence  of  the  messenger  Palamedes,  Ulysses  feigned 

insanity,  hoping  thereby  to  elude  the  tedious  journey  to  Troy ; 

Ulysses  feigns    but  the  messenger  was  not  so  easily  duped,  and 

madness.  cleverly  determined  to  ascertain  the  truth  by  strata- 
gem. One  day,  therefore,  when  the  king  was  plowing  the  sea- 
shore with  an  ox  and  horse  harnessed  together,  and  sowing  this 
strange  field  with  salt,  Palamedes  placed  the  babe  Telemachus 
in  the  furrow,  directly  in  front  of  the  plow,  and  marked  how 
skillfully  Ulysses  turned  his  ill-assorted  team  aside  to  avoid  harm- 
ing his  Heir.  This  action  sufficed  to  prove  to  Palamedes  that 
the  king  had  not  lost  all  control  of  his  senses,  and  enabled  him 
to  force  Ulysses  to  obey  Menelaus'  summons. 

At  Aulis  the  assembled  army  with  unanimous  consent  elected 


ABDUCTION  OF  HELEN.— Deutsch. 


(3'3> 


314  CLASSICAL  MYTHS. 

• 

Agamemnon,  Menelaus'  brother,  chief  of  the  expedition,  which 

numbered,  among  many  others,  Nestor,  noted  for  his  wise  counsel ; 

Agamemnon      Ajax,  gigantic  in  strength  and  courage  ;   and  Dio- 

made  chief.      medes,  the  renowned  warrior. 

The  troops  were  assembled,  the  vessels  freighted ;  but  before 
they  departed,  the  chiefs  considered  it  expedient  to  consult  an 
oracle,  to  ascertain  whether  their  expedition  was  destined  to  suc- 
ceed. In  a  somewhat  veiled  and  ambiguous  manner,  they  re- 
ceived answer  that  Troy  could  never  be  taken  without  the  aid  of 
the  son  of  Peleus  and  Thetis,  Achilles,  of  whom  the  Fates  had 
predicted  that  he  would  surpass  his  father  in  greatness  (p.  305). 

Thetis  loved  this  only  child  so  dearly,  that  when  he  was  but  a 
babe,  she  had  carried  him  to  the  banks  of  the  Styx,  whose 
Achilles'  early  waters  had  the  magic  power  of  rendering  all  the 
life-  parts  they  touched  invulnerable.  Premising  that 

her  son  would  be  a  great  warrior,  and  thus  exposed  to  great 
danger,  she  plunged  him  wholly  into  the  tide  with  the  exception 
of  one  heel,  by  which  she  held  him,  and  then  returned  home. 

Some  time  after,  an  oracle  foretold  that  Achilles  would  die  be- 
neath the  walls  of  Troy  from  a  wound  in  his  heel,  the  only  vulner- 
able part  of  his  body.  With  many  tears  Thetis  vowed  that  her 
son  should  never  leave  her  to  encounter  such  a  fate,  and  intrusted 
the  care  of  his  education  to  the  Centaur  Chiron,  who  had  taught 
all  the  greatest  heroes  in  turn. 

From  this  instructor  Achilles  learned  the  arts  of  war,  wrestling, 
poetry,  music,  and  song, — all,  in  short,  that  an  accomplished  Greek 
warrior  was  expected  to  know,  —  and,  when  his  studies  were  fin- 
ished, returned  to  his  father's  court  to  gladden  his  fond  mother's 
heart  by  his  presence. 

Thetis'  joy  was  all  turned  to  grief,  however,  when  rumors  of 
the  war  imminent  between  Greece  and  Troy  came  to  her  ears. 
She  knew  her  son  would  soon  be  summoned,  and,  to  prevent  his 
going,  sent  him  off  to  the  court  of  Lycomedes,  where,  under 
some  pretext,  he  was  prevailed  upon  to  assume  a  disguise  and 
mingle  with  the  king's  daughters  and  their  handmaidens. 


TROJAX    l\rAK.  315 

One  messenger  after  another  was  dispatched  to  summon 
Achilles  to  join  the  fleet  at  Aulis,  but  one  after  another  returned 
without  having  seen  him,  or  being  able  to  ascertain  where  he  was 
hiding.  The  Greeks,  however  anxious  to  depart,  dared  not  sail 
without  him.  They  were  in  despair,  until  Ulysses,  the  wily,  pro- 
posed a  plan,  and  offered  to  carry  it  out. 

"  Ulysses,  man  of  many  arts, 
Son  of  Laertes,  reared  in  Ithaca, 
That  rugged  isle,  and  skilled  in  every  form 
Of  shrewd  device  and  action  wisely  planned." 

HOMER  (Bryant's  tr.). 
/ 

Arrayed  in  peddler's  garb,  with  a  pack  upon  his  shoulders, 
Ulysses  entered  Lycomedes'  palace,  where  he  shrewdly  suspected 
Achilles  was  concealed,  and  offered  his  wares  for  uiysses  discov- 
sale.  The  maidens  selected  trinkets ;  but  one  of  ers  Achllles- 
them,  closely  veiled,  seized  a  weapon  concealed  among  the  orna- 
ments, and  brandished  it  with  such  skill,  that  Ulysses  saw  through 
the  assumed  disguise,  explained  his  presence  and  purpose,  and 
by  his  eloquence  persuaded  the  young  Achilles  to  accompany 
him  to  Aulis. 

The  Greeks  were  now  ready  to  embark ;  but  no  favorable 
wind  came  to  swell  the  sails,  which  day  after  day  hung  limp 
and  motionless  against  the  tall  masts  of  their  vessels. 

"The  troops 

Collected  and  imbodied,  here  we  sit 
Inactive,  and  from  Aulis  wish  to  sail 

In  vain." 

EURIPIDES  (Potter's  tr.). 

Calchas,  the  soothsayer  of  the  expedition,  was  again  consulted, 
to  discover  how  they  might  best  win  the  favor  of  the  gods ;  and 
the  reply  given  purported  that  no  favorable  wind      sacrifice  of 
would  blow  until  Iphigenia,  daughter  of  Agamem-       iphigenia. 
non,  was  offered  up  in  sacrifice  to  appease  the  everlasting  gods. 

Many  other  propitiatory  methods  were  tried ;  but  as  they  all 


316  CLASSICAL  MYTHS. 

proved  ineffective,  Agamemnon,  urged  by  his  companions,  sent 
for  his  daughter,  feigning  that  he  wished  to  celebrate  her  nup- 
tials with  Achilles  before  his  departure. 

"  I  wrote,  I  seal'd 

A  letter  to  my  wife,  that  she  should  send 
Her  daughter,  to  Achilles  as  a  bride 
Affianc'd." 

EURIPIDES  (Potter's  tr.). 

Iphigenia  came  to  her  father  secretly  delighted  at  being  the 
chosen  bride  of  such  a  hero ;  but,  instead  of  being  led  to  the 
hymeneal  altar,  she  was  dragged  to  the  place  of  sacrifice,  where 
the  priest,  with  uplifted  knife,  was  about  to  end  her  sufferings, 
when  Diana  suddenly  appeared,  snatched  her  up  in  a  cloud,  and 
left  in  her  stead  a  deer,  which  was  duly  sacrificed,  while  Iphige- 
nia was  borne  in  safety  to  Tauris,  where  she  became  a  priestess 
in  one  of  the  goddess's  temples. 

The  gods  were  now  propitious,  and  the  wind  slowly  rose, 
filled  the  sails  of  the  waiting  vessels,  and  wafted  them  swiftly  and 

Arrival  at  steadily  over  the  sea  to  the  Trojan  shores,  where 
Troy-  an  army  stood  ready  to  prevent  the  Greek  troops 
from  disembarking.  The  invaders  were  eager  to  land  to  meas- 
ure their  strength  against  the  Trojans ;  yet  all  hesitated  to  leave 
the  ships,  for  an  oracle  had  foretold  that  the  first  warrior  who  at- 
tempted to  land  would  meet  with  instant  death. 

"  '  The  Delphic  oracle  foretold 
That  the  first  Greek  who  touched  the  Trojan  strand 
Should  die.'" 

WORDSWORTH. 

Protesilaus,  a  brave  chief,  seeing  his  comrades'  irresolution, 
and  animated  by  a  spirit  of  self-sacrifice,  sprang  boldly  ashore, 
Protesilaus  and  and  perished,  slain  by  the  enemy,  as  soon  as  his 

Laodamia.  £oot  had  touched  the  foreign  soil.  When  the  tid- 
ings of  his  death  reached  his  beloved  wife,  Laodamia,  whom  he 
had  left  in  Thessaly,  they  well-nigh  broke  her  heart ;  and  in  her 


THE    TROJAN   WAR.  317 

despair  she  entreated  the  gods  to  let  her  die,  or  allow  her  to  see 
her  lord  once  more,  were  it  but  for  a  moment.  Her  appeal  was 
so  touching,  that  the  gods  could  not  refuse  to  hear  it,  and  bade 
Mercury  conduct  her  husband's  shade  back  to  earth,  to  tarry 
with  her  for  three  hours'  time. 

"  'Such  grace  hath  crowned  thy  prayer, 
Laodamia  !  that  at  Jove's  command 
Thy  husband  walks  the  paths  of  upper  air: 
He  comes  to  tarry  with  thee  three  hours'  space; 
Accept  the  gift,  behold  him  face  to  face  ! ' ' 

WORDSWORTH. 

With  an  inarticulate  cry  of  joy,  Laodamia  beheld  the  beloved 
countenance  of  Protesilaus  once  more,  and  from  his  own  lips 
heard  the  detailed  account  of  his  early  death.  The  three  hours 
passed  all  too  quickly  in  delicious  intercourse ;  and  when  Mercury 
reappeared  to  lead  him  back  to  Hades,  the  loving  wife,  unable 
to  endure  a  second  parting,  died  of  grief. 

The  same  grave,  it  is  said,  was  the  resting  place  of  this  united 
pair,  and  kind-hearted  nymphs  planted  elm  trees  over  their 
remains.  These  trees  grew  "until  they  were  high  enough  to 
command  a  view  of  Troy,  and  then  withered  away,  while  fresh 
branches  sprang  from  the  roots." 

"  Upon  the  side 

Of  Hellespont  (such  faith  was  entertained) 
A  knot  of  spiry  trees  for  ages  grew 
From  out  the  tomb  of  him  for  whom  she  died ; 
And  ever,  when  such  stature  they  had  gained 
That  Ilium's  walls  were  subject  to  their  view, 
The  trees'  tall  summits  withered  at  the  sight ; 
A  constant  interchange  of  growth  and  blight !  " 

WORDSWORTH. 

Hostilities  had  now  begun,  and  the  war  between  the  conflict- 
ing hosts  was  waged  with  equal  courage  and  skill.  During  nine 
long  years  of  uninterrupted  strife,  the  Greeks'  efforts  to  enter 
Troy,  or  Ilium,  as  it  was  also  called,  were  vain,  as  were  also  the 


318  CLASSICAL  MYTHS. 

Trojans'  attempts  to  force  the  foe  to  leave  their  shores.  This 
memorable  struggle  is  the  theme  of  many  poems.  The  oldest  and 
most  renowned  of  all,  the  Iliad,  begins  with  the  story  of  the  tenth 
and  last  year's  events. 

»  Among  a  number  of  captives  taken  in  a  skirmish  by  the  Hel- 
lenic troops,  were  two  beautiful  maidens,  Chryseis,  daughter  of 

chryseis  and     Chryses,  priest  of  Apollo,  and  Briseis.      The  pris- 

Briseis.         oners  were,  as  usual,  allotted  to  various  chiefs,  and 

Agamemnon  received   the  priest's    daughter  as  reward    for  his 

bravery,  while  Achilles  triumphantly  led  to  his  tent  the  equally 

fair  Briseis. 

When  Chryses  heard  that  his  child  had  fallen  into  the  hands 
of  the  enemy,  he  hastened  to  Agamemnon's  tent  to  offer  a  rich 
ransom  for  her  recovery  ;  but  the  aged  father's  entreaties  were  all 
unheeded,  and  he  was  dismissed  with  many  heartless  taunts. 
Exasperated  by  this  cruel  treatment,  he  raised  his  hands  to 
heaven,  and  implored  Apollo  to  avenge  the  insults  he  had  re- 
ceived by  sending  down  upon  the  Greeks  all  manner  of  evil. 
This  prayer  was  no  sooner  heard  than  answered,  by  the  sun  god's 
sending  a  terrible  plague  to  decimate  the  enemy's  troops. 

"  The  aged  man  indignantly  withdrew ; 
And  Phoebus  —  for  the  priest  was  dear  to  him  — 
Granted  his  prayer,  and  sent  among  the  Greeks 
A  deadly  shaft.     The  people  of  the  camp 
Were  perishing  in  heaps." 

HOMER  (Bryant's  tr.). 

The  Greeks,  in  terror,  now  consulted  an  oracle  to  know  why 
this  calamity  had  come  upon  them,  and  how  they  might  check 
the  progress  of  the  deadly  disease  which  was  so  rapidly  reducing 
their  forces.  They  were  told  that  the  plague  would  never  cease 
until  Agamemnon  surrendered  his  captive,  and  thus  disarmed 
Apollo's  wrath,  which  had  been  kindled  by  his  rude  refusal  to 
comply  with  the  aged  priest's  request. 

All  the  Greek  chiefs,  assembled  in  council,  decided  to  send 
Achilles  to  Agamemnon  to  apprise  him  of  their  wish  that  he 


THE    TROJAN   IV A R.  319 

should  set  Chryseis  free,  —  a  wish  which  he  immediately  consented 
to  grant,  if  Briseis  were  given  him  in  exchange. 

The  plague  was  raging  throughout  the  camp ;  the  cries  of  the 
sufferers  rent  the  air;  many  had  already  succumbed  to  the 
scourge,  and  all  were  threatened  with  an  inglorious  death. 
Achilles,  mindful  of  all  this,  and  anxious  to  save  his  beloved 
companions,  consented  to  comply  with  this  unreasonable  request ; 
but  at  the  same  time  he  swore,  that,  if  Agamemnon  really  took 
his  captive  away,  he  would  not  strike  another  blow. 

Chryseis  was  immediately  consigned  to  the  care  of  a  herald, 
who  led  her  back  to  her  aged  father's  arms.  Ready  to  forgive 
all,  now  that  his  child  was  restored  to  him,  Chryses  implored 
Apollo  to  stay  his  hand,  and  the  plague  instantly  ceased. 

As  for  Agamemnon,  he  sent  his  slaves  to  Achilles'  tent  to  lead 
away  Briseis ;  and  the  hero,  true  to  his  promise,  laid  aside  his 
armor,  determined  to  fight  no  more. 

"The  great  Achilles,  swift  of  foot,  remained 
Within  his  ships,  indignant  for  the  sake 
Of  the  fair-haired  Briseis." 

HOMER  (Bryant's  tr.). 

Thetis,  hearing  of  the  wanton  insult  offered  her  son,  left  her 
coral  caves,  ascended  to  Olympus,  cast  herself  at  Jupiter's  feet, 
and  with  many  tears  tremulously  prayed  he  would        Achilles' 
avenge  Achilles  and  make  the  Greeks  fail  in  all         wrath, 
their  attempts  as  long  as  her  son's  wrath  remained  unappeased. 

Jupiter,  touched  by  her  beauty  and  distress,  frowned  until  the 
very  firmament  shook,  and  swore  to  make  the  Greeks  rue  the 
day  they  left  their  native  shores, 

"  To  give  Achilles  honor  and  to  cause 
Myriads  of  Greeks  to  perish  by  their  fleet." 

HOMER  (Bryant's  tr.). 

In  consequence  of  a  treacherous  dream  purposely  sent  by 
Jupiter  to  delude  him,  Agamemnon  again  assembled  his  troops, 
and  proposed  a  new  onslaught  upon  the  Trojan  forces.  But 


320  CLASSICAL   MYTHS. 

when  the  army  was  drawn  up  in  battle  array,  Hector,  the  eldest 

son  of  Priam,  and  therefore  leader  of  his  army,  stepping  forward, 

Agamemnon     proposed  that  the  prolonged  quarrel  should   be 

misled.         definitely  settled  by  a  single  combat  between  Paris 

and  Menelaus. 

"  Hector  then  stood  forth  and  said  : 
'  Hearken,  ye  Trojans  and  ye  nobly-armed 
Achaians,  to  what  Paris  says  by  me. 
He  bids  the  Trojans  and  the  Greeks  lay  down 
Their  shining  arms  upon  the  teeming  earth, 
And  he  and  Menelaus,  loved  of  Mars, 
Will  strive  in  single  combat,  on  the  ground 
Between  the  hosts,  for  Helen  and  her  wealth  ; 
And  he  who  shall  o'ercome,  and  prove  himself 
The  better  warrior,  to  his  home  shall  bear 
The  treasure  and  the  woman,  while  the  rest 
Shall  frame  a  solemn  covenant  of  peace.'  " 

HOMER  (Bryant's  tr.). 

This  proposal  having  been  received  favorably,  Menelaus  and 

Paris  soon  engaged  in  a  duel,  which  was  witnessed  by  both 

Menelaus  and    armies,  by    Helen   and    Priam  from   the    Trojan 

Pans  fight.  walls,  and  by  the  everlasting  gods  from  the  wooded 
heights  of  Mount  Ida ;  but  in  the  very  midst  of  the  fight,  Venus, 
seeing  her  favorite  about  to  succumb,  suddenly  snatched  him 
away  from  the  battlefield,  and  bore  him  unseen  to  his  chamber, 
where  he  was  joined  by  Helen,  who  bitterly  reproached  him  for 
his  cowardly  flight. 

Indignant  at  this  interference  on  Venus'  part,  the  gods  decreed 
that  the  war  should  be  renewed ;  and  Minerva,  assuming  the 
form  of  a  Trojan  warrior,  aimed  an  arrow  at  Menelaus,  who  was 
vainly  seeking  his  vanished  opponent.  This  act  of  treachery  was 
the  signal  for  a  general  call  to  arms  and  a  renewal  of  hostilities. 
Countless  deeds  of  valor  were  now  performed  by  the  heroes  on 
both  sides,  and  also  by  the  gods,  who  mingled  in  the  ranks  and 
even  fought  against  each  other,  until  recalled  by  Jupiter,  and  for- 
bidden to  fight  any  more. 


THE    TROJAN  WAR.  321 

For  a  little  while  fortune  seemed  to  favor  the  Greeks ;   and 
Hector,  hastening  back  to  Troy,  bade  his  mother  go  to  the  temple 
with  all  her  women,  and  endeavor  by  her  prayers      Hector  and 
and  gifts  to  propitiate  Minerva  and  obtain  her  aid.     Andromache. 
Then  he  hastened  off  in  search  of   his  wife  Andromache  and 
little   son  Astyanax,  whom  he  wished  to  embrace   once   more 
before  rushing  out  to  battle  and  possible  death. 

He  found  his  palace  deserted,  and,  upon  questioning  the 
women,  heard  that  his  wife  had  gone  to  the  Scsean  Gate,  where 
he  now  drove  as  fast  as  his  noble  steeds  could  drag  him.  There, 
at  the  gate,  took  place  the  parting  scene,  which  has  deservedly 
been  called  the  most  pathetic  in  all  the  Iliad,  in  which  Androm- 
ache vainly  tried  to  detain  her  husband  within  the  walls,  while 
Hector  gently  reproved  her,  and  demonstrated  that  his  duty 
called  him  out  upon  the  field  of  battle,  where  he  must  hold  his 
own  if  he  would  not  see  the  city  taken,  the  Trojans  slain,  and 
the  women,  including  his  mother  and  beloved  Andromache, 
borne  away  into  bitter  captivity. 

"  Andromache 

Pressed  to  his  side  meanwhile,  and,  all  in  tears, 
Clung  to  his  hand,  and,  thus  beginning,  said  :  — 

'  Too  brave  !  thy  valor  yet  will  cause  thy  death. 
Thou  hast  no  pity  on  thy  tender  child, 
Nor  me,  unhappy  one,  who  soon  must  be 
Thy  widow.     All  the  Greeks  will  rush  on  thee 
To  take  thy  life.     A  happier  lot  were  mine, 
If  I  must  lose  thee,  to  go  down  to  earth, 
For  I  shall  have  no  hope  when  thou  art  gone,  — 
Nothing  but  sorrow.     Father  have  I  none, 
And  no  dear  mother. 

Hector,  thou 

Art  father  and  dear  mother  now  to  me, 
And  brother  and  my  youthful  spouse  besides. 
In  pity  keep  within  the  fortress  here, 
Nor  make  thy  child  an  orphan  nor  thy  wife 
A  widow.' 


THE    TROJAN   WAR.  323 

Then  answered  Hector,  great  in  war:    'All  this 
I  bear  in  mind,  dear  wife ;  but  I  should  stand 
Ashamed  before  the  men  and  long-robed  dames 
Of  Troy,  were  I  to  keep  aloof  and  shun 
The  conflict,  coward-like.'  " 

HOMER  (Bryant's  tr.). 

Then  he  stretched  out  his  arms  for  his  infant  son,  who,  how- 
ever, shrank  back  affrighted  at  the  sight  of  his  brilliant  helmet 
and  nodding  plumes,  and  would  not  go  to  him  until  he  had  set 
the  gleaming  headdress  aside.  After  a  passionate  prayer  for  his 
little  heir's  future  welfare,  Hector  gave  the  child  back  to  Androm- 
ache, and,  with  a  last  farewell  embrace,  sprang  into  his  chariot 
and  drove  away. 

"  '  Sorrow  not  thus,  beloved  one,  for  me. 
No  living  man  can  send  me  to  the  shades 
Before  my  time ;  no  man  of  woman  born, 
Coward  or  brave,  can  shun  his  destiny. 
But  go  thou  home,  and  tend  thy  labors  there,  — 
The  web,  the  distaff,  — and  command  thy  maids 
To  speed  the  work.     The  cares  of  war  pertain 
To  all  men  born  in  Troy,  and  most  to  me.'" 

HOMER  (Bryant's  tr.). 

Paris,  ashamed  now  of  his  former  flight,  soon  joined  his  brother 
upon  the  battlefield,  and  together  they  performed  many  de(eds 
of  valor.     The  time  had  now  come  when  Jupiter         Greeks 
was  about  to  redeem  the  promise  given  to  Thetis,        repelled, 
for  little  by  little  the  Greeks  were  forced  to  yield  before  the 
might  of  the  Trojans,  who,  stimulated  by  their  partial  success, 
and  fired  by  Hector's  example,  performed  miracles  of  valor,  and 
finally  drove  their  assailants  into  their  intrenchments. 

Death  and  defeat  now  dogged  the  very  footsteps  of  the  Greek 
forces,  who  were  driven,  inch  by  inch,  away  from  the  walls,  ever 
nearer  the  place  where  their  vessels  rode  at  anchor.  They  now 
ardently  longed  for  the  assistance  of  Achilles,  whose  mere  pres- 
ence, in  days  gone  by,  had  filled  the  Trojan  hearts  with  terror ; 


324  CLASSICAL  MYTHS. 

but  the  hero,  although  Briseis  had  been  returned  unmolested, 
paid  no  heed  to  their  entreaties  for  aid,  and  remained  a  sul- 
len and  indifferent  spectator  of  their  flight,  while  the  Trojans 
began  to  set  fire  to  some  of  the  vessels  of  their  fleet. 

"The  goddess-born  Achilles,  swift  of  foot, 
Beside  his  ships  still  brooded  o'er  his  wrath, 
Nor  came  to  counsel  with  the  illustrious  chiefs, 
Nor  to  the  war,  but  suffered  idleness 
To  eat  his  heart  away ;  for  well  he  loved 
Clamor  and  combat." 

HOMER  (Bryant's  tr.). 

Discouraged  by  all  these  reverses,  in  spite  of  their  brave  re- 
sistance, the  Greeks,  in  despair,  concluded  that  the  gods  had  en- 
tirely forsaken  them,  and  beat  a  hasty  and  ignominious  retreat 
to  the  shore,  closely  followed  by  the  enemy,  who  uttered  loud 
cries  of  triumph. 

Patroclus,  Achilles'  intimate  friend,  then  hastened  to  the  hero's 
side  to  inform  him  of  his  comrades'  flight,  and  implore  him  once 
Patroclus  dons  more  to  rescue  them  from  inevitable  death.  But 
Achilles'  armor.  Achilles,  summoning  all  his  pride  to  his  assistance, 
did  not  waver  in  his  resolve.  Suddenly  Patroclus  remembered 
that  the  mere  sight  of  Achilles'  armor  might  suffice  to  arrest 
the  enemy's  advance  and  produce  a  diversion  in  favor  of  the 
Greeks :  so  he  asked  permission  to  wear  it  and  lead  the  Myrmi- 
dons, Achilles'  trusty  followers,  into  the  fray. 

"  Send  me  at  least  into  the  war, 
And  let  me  lead  thy  Myrmidons,  that  thus 
The  Greeks  may  have  some  gleam  of  hope.     And  give 
The  armor  from  thy  shoulders.     I  will  wear 
Thy  mail,  and  then  the  Trojans,  at  the  sight, 
May  think  I  am  Achilles,  and  may  pause 
From  fighting,  and  the  warlike  sons  of  Greece, 
Tired  as  they  are,  may  breathe  once  more,  and  gain 
A  respite  from  the  conflict." 

HOMER  (Bryant's  tr.). 


THE    TROJAX   M'AK.  325 

Achilles  had  sworn,  it  is  true,  not  to  return  to  the  scene  of 
strife,  but  was  quite  willing  to  lend  men  and  arms,  if  they  might 
be  of  any  use,  and  immediately  placed  them  at  his  friend's  dis- 
posal. Hastily  Patroclus  donned  the  glittering  armor,  called 
aloud  to  the  Myrmidons  to  follow  his  lead,  and  rushed  forth  to 
encounter  the  enemy. 

The  Trojans  paused  in  dismay,  thinking  Achilles  had  come,  and 
were  about  to  take  flight,  when  all  at  once  they  discovered  the 
fraud.  With  renewed  courage,  they  opposed  the  Death  of 
Greek  onslaught.  Many  heroes  bit  the  dust  in  Patroclus. 
this  encounter,  among  others  Sarpedon,  the  son  of  Jupiter  and 
Europa  (p.  45),  —  whose  remains  were  borne  away  from  the  bat- 
tlefield by  the  twin  divinities  Sleep  and  Death,  —  ere  Hector,  son 
of  Priam,  and  chief  among  the  Trojan  warriors,  challenged  Pa- 
troclus to  single  combat.  Needless  to  say,  the  two  closed  in 
deadly  battle,  and  fought  with  equal  valor,  until  Patroclus,  al- 
ready exhausted  by  his  previous  efforts,  and  betrayed  by  the 
gods,  finally  succumbed. 

"The  hero  fell 

With  clashing  mail,  and  all  the  Greeks  beheld 
His  fall  with  grief." 

HOMER  (Bryant's  tr.). 

With  a  loud  cry  of  victory,  Hector  wrenched  the  armor  off 
the  mangled  corpse,  and  quickly  withdrew  to  array  himself  in  the 
brilliant  spoils.  The  tidings  of  Patroclus'  fall  spread  rapidly  all 
through  the  Grecian  camp,  and  reached  Achilles,  who  wept  aloud 
when  he  heard  that  his  beloved  friend,  who  had  left  him  but  a 
short  time  before  full  of  life  and  energy,  w;is  now  no  more.  So 
noisily  did  the  hero  mourn  his  loss,  that  Thetis,  in  the  quiet 
ocean  depths,  heard  his  groans,  and  rushed  to  his  side  to  ascer- 
tain their  cause. 

Into  his  mother's  sympathetic  ear  Achilles  poured  the  whole 
story  of  his  grief  and  loss,  while  she  gently  strove        Achilles1 
to  turn  his  thoughts  aside  from   the  sad  event,  K"ef- 

and  arouse    an   interest   for  some  pursuit  less  dangerous  than 


326  CLASSICAL  MYTHS. 

war.  All  her  efforts  were  vain,  however;  for  Achilles'  soul 
thirsted  for  revenge,  and  he  repeatedly  swore  he  would  go  forth 
and  slay  his  friend's  murderer. 

"  No  wish 

Have  I  to  live,  or  to  concern  myself 
In  men's  affairs,  save  this :  that  Hector  first, 
Pierced  by  my  spear,  shall  yield  his  life,  and  pay 
The  debt  of  vengeance  for  Patroclus  slain." 

HOMER  (Bryant's  tr.). 

Then,  in  sudden  dread  lest  Hector  should  fall  by  another's 
hand,  or  withdraw  from  the  battlefield  and  thus  escape  his 
vengeance,  Achilles  would  have  rushed  from  his  tent  unarmed ; 
but  his  mother  prevailed  upon  him  to  wait  until  the  morrow, 
when  she  promised  to  bring  him  a  full  suit  of  armor  from  Vul- 
can's own  hand.  Rapidly  Thetis  then  traversed  the  wide  space 
which  separates  the  coast  of  Asia  Minor  from  Mount  ^tna, 
where  Vulcan  labored  at  his  forge. 

"  She  found  him  there 
Sweating  and  toiling,  and  with  busy  hand 
Plying  the  bellows." 

HOMER  (Bryant's  tr.). 

Arrived  before  him,  she  breathlessly  made  known  her  errand, 
and  the  god  promised  that  the  arms  should  be  ready  within 

Achilles'  tne  given  time,  and  immediately  set  to  work  to 
armor.  fashion  them.  By  his  skillful  hands  the  marvelous 
weapons  were  forged ;  and  when  the  first  streak  of  light  appeared 
above  the  horizon,  he  consigned  them  to  Thetis,  who  hastened 
back  to  her  son's  tent,  where  she  found  him  still  bewailing  the 
loss  of  Patroclus. 

During  Thetis'  absence,  messengers  had  come  to  Achilles'  tent 
to  warn  him  that  Patroclus'  body  was  still  in  the  enemy's  hands, 
and  to  implore  him  to  come  and  rescue  the  precious  corpse. 
Mindful  of  his  promise  to  his  mother,  Achilles  still  refused  to 
fight,  but,  springing  upon  the  rampart,  uttered  his  mighty  war-cry, 
the  sound  of  which  filled  the  enemy's  hearts  with  terror,  and  made 


THETIS   BEARING   THE  ARMOR  OF  ACHILLES.— Gerard 


328  CLASSICAL    MYTHS. 

them  yield  to  the  well-directed  onslaught  of  Ajax  and  Diomedes, 
who  finally  succeeded  in  recovering  the  body,  which  they  then 
reverently  bore  to  Achilles'  tent. 

To  console  Achilles  for  his  friend's  death,  Thetis  exhibited 
the  glorious  armor  she  had  just  obtained,  helped  him  put  it  on, 
and  then  bade  him  go  forth  and  conquer. 

"  'Leave  we  the  dead,  my  son,  since  it  hath  pleased 
The  gods  that  he  should  fall ;  and  now  receive 
This  sumptuous  armor,  forged  by  Vulcan's  hand, 
Beautiful,  such  as  no  man  ever  wore.' " 

HOMER  (Bryant's  tr.). 

Thus  armed,  mounted  in  his  chariot  drawn  by  his  favorite 
steeds,  and  driven  by  his  faithful  charioteer  Automedon,  Achilles 

Death  of  went  forth  to  battle,  and  finally  seeing  Hector, 
Hector.  whom  alone  he  wished  to  meet,  he  rushed  upon 
him  with  a  hoarse  cry  of  rage.  The  Trojan  hero,  at  the  mere 
sight  of  the  deadly  hatred  which  shone  in  Achilles'  eyes,  turned 
to  flee.  Achilles  pursued  him,  and  taunted  him  with  his  coward- 
ice, until  Hector  turned  and  fought  with  all  the  courage  and 
recklessness  of  despair. 

Their  blows  fell  like  hail,  a  cloud  of  dust  enveloped  their 
struggling  forms,  and  the  anxious  witnesses  only  heard  the  dull 
thud  of  the  blows  and  the  metallic  clash  of  the  weapons.  Sud- 
denly there  came  a  loud  cry,  then  all  was  still ;  and  when  the 
dust-cloud  had  blown  away,  the  Trojans  from  the  ramparts, 
where  they  had  waited  in  agony  for  the  issue  of  the  fight,  beheld 
Achilles  tear  the  armor  from  their  champion's  body,  bind  the 
corpse  to  his  chariot,  and  drive  nine  times  round  the  city  walls, 
Hector's  princely  head  dragging  in  the  dust.  Priam,  Hecuba, 
and  Andromache,  Hector's  beautiful  young  wife,  tearfully  watched 
this  ignominious  treatment,  and  finally  saw  Achilles  drive  off  to 
the  spot  where  Patroclus'  funeral  pile  was  laid,  and  there  abandon 
the  corpse. 

Achilles  then  returned  to  his  tent,  where  for  a  long  time  he 


THE    TROJAN  WAR.  329 

continued  to  mourn  his  friend's  untimely  end,  refusing   to  be 
comforted. 

The  gods,  from  their  celestial  abode,  had  also  witnessed  this 
heartrending  scene,  and   now  Jupiter  sent  Iris  to  Thetis,  and 
bade  her  hasten  down  to  Achilles  and  command       The  gods. 
him  to  restore  Hector's  body  to  his  mourning  fam-         decree, 
ily.     He   also   directed  Mercury   to   lead    Priam,  unseen,  into 
Achilles'  tent,  to  claim  and  bear  away  his  son's  desecrated  corpse. 
Thetis,  seeking  Achilles  in  his  tent,  announced  the  will  of  Jove :  — 

"  I  am  come 

A  messenger  from  Jove,  who  bids  me  say 
The  immortals  are  offended,  and  himself 
The  most,  that  thou  shouldst  in  thy  spite  detain 
The  corse  of  Hector  at  the  beaked  ships, 
Refusing  its  release.     Comply  thou,  then, 
And  take  the  ransom  and  restore  the  dead." 

HOMER  (Bryant's  tr.). 

Mercury  acquitted  himself  with  his  usual  dispatch,  and  soon 
guided  Priam  in  safety  through  the  Grecian  camp        Return  of 
to  Achilles'  tent,  where  the  aged  king  fell  at  the    Hector's  body- 
hero's  feet,  humbly  pleading  for  his  son's  body,  and  proffering 
a  princely  ransom  in  exchange. 

Achilles,  no  longer  able  to  refuse  this  entreaty,  and  touched  by 
a  father's  tears,  consigned  Hector's  corpse  to  the  old  man's  care, 
and  promised  an  armistice  of  fourteen  days,  that  the  funeral  rites 
in  both  camps  might  be  celebrated  with  all  due  pomp  and  solem- 
nity ;  and  with  the  burial  of  Hector  the  Iliad  comes  to  a  close. 

At  the  end  of  the  truce  the  hostilities  were  renewed,  and  the 
Trojans  were  reinforced  by  the  arrival  of  Penthesilea,  queen  of 
the  Amazons,  who,  with  a  chosen  troop  of  warrior        Death  of 
maidens,  came  to  offer  her  aid.     The  brave  queen      Penthesilea. 
afforded  them,  however,  only  temporary  relief,  as  she  was  slain 
by  Achilles  in  their  very  first  encounter. 

He,  too,  however,  was  doomed  to  die  "  in  the  flower  of  his 
youth  and  beauty,"  and  the  Fates  had  almost  finished  spinning 


330  CLASSICAL  MYTHS. 

his  thread  of  life.  In  an  early  skirmish,  while  in  close  pursuit 
of  the  Trojans,  Thetis'  son  had  once  caught  sight  of  Polyxena, 
daughter  of  Priam,  and  had  been  deeply  smitten  by  her  girlish 
charms.  He  now  vainly  tried  to  make  peace  between  the  con- 
flicting nations,  hoping  that,  were  the  war  but  ended,  he  might 
obtain  her  hand  in  marriage. 

His  efforts  to  make  peace  failed ;  but  at  last  he  prevailed  upon 
Priam  to  celebrate  his  betrothal  with  Polyxena,  with  the  stipu- 
Death  of        lation  that  the  marriage  would  take  place  as  soon 
Achilles.        as  ^g  war  was  over.      The  betrothal  ceremony 
was  held  without  the  city  gates ;  and  Achilles  was  just  about  to 
part  from  his  blushing  betrothed,  when  Paris,  ever  treacherous, 
stole  behind  him  and  shot  a  poisoned  arrow  into  his  vulnerable 
heel,  thus  slaying  the  hero  who  had  caused  so  many  brave  war- 
riors to  bite  the  dust. 

"  Thus  great  Achilles,  who  had  shown  his  zeal 
In  healing  wounds,  died  of  a  wounded  heel." 

O.  W.  HOLMES. 

His  armor — the  glorious  armor  forged  by  Vulcan  —  was  hotly 
contested  for  by  Ulysses  and  Ajax.  The  former  finally  obtained 
the  coveted  weapons ;  and  Ajax'  grief  at  their  loss  was  so  intense, 
that  he  became  insane,  and  killed  himself  in  a  fit  of  frenzy,  while 
Polyxena,  inconsolable  at  her  betrothed's  death,  committed  sui- 
cide on  the  magnificent  tomb  erected  over  his  remains  on  the 
Trojan  plain. 

The  oracles,  silent  so  long,  now  announced  that  Troy  could 
never  be  taken  without  the  poisoned  arrows  of  Hercules,  then  in 

Phiioctetes'  tne  keeping  of  Philoctetes  (p.  238).  This  hero 
arrows.  ^ad  started  with  the  expedition,  but  had  been  put 
ashore  on  the  Island  of  Lemnos  on  account  of  a  wound  in  his 
foot,  which  had  become  so  offensive  that  none  of  the  ship's  com- 
pany could  endure  his  presence  on  board. 

Ten  long  years  had  already  elapsed  since  then,  and,  although 
a  party  of  Greeks  immediately  set  out  in  search  of  him,  they  had 


THE    TROJAN   WAR.  331 

but  little  hope  of  finding  him  alive.  They  nevertheless  wended 
their  way  to  the  cave  where  they  had  deposited  him,  where,  to 
their  unbounded  surprise,  they  still  found  him.  The  wound  had 
not  healed,  but  he  had  managed  to  exist  by  killing  such  game 
as  came  within  reach  of  his  hand. 

"  Exposed  to  the  inclement  skies, 

Deserted  and  forlorn  he  lies ; 

No  friend  or  fellow-mourner  there, 
To  soothe  his  sorrows,  and  divide  his  care ; 
Or  seek  the  healing  plant,  of  power  to  'suage 
His  aching  wound,  and  mitigate  its  rage." 

SOPHOCLES  (Francklin's  tr.). 

Incensed  by  the  Greeks'  former  cruel  desertion,  no  entreaty 
could  now  induce  Philoctetes  to  accompany  the  messengers  to 
Troy,  until  Hercules  appeared  to  him  in  a  dream,  and  bade  him 
go  without  delay,  for  there  he  would  find  Machaon  (p.  64), 
^sculapius'  son,  who  was  to  heal  his  wound. 

The  dream  was  realized.  Philoctetes,  whole  once  more,  joined 
the  Greek  host,  and  caused  great  dismay  in  the  enemy's  ranks 
with  his  poisoned  arrows.  One  of  his  deadly  Death  of  Paris 
missiles  even  struck  Paris,  and,  as  the  poison  en-  and  CE"006- 
tered  his  veins,  it  caused  him  grievous  suffering.  Paris  then  re- 
membered that  his  first -love,  CEnone,  who  knew  all  remedies  and 
the  best  modes  of  applying  them,  had  once  told  him  to  send  for 
her  should  he  ever  be  wounded.  He  therefore  sent  for  CEnone ; 
but  she,  justly  offended  by  the  base  desertion  and  long  neglect  of 
her  lover,  refused  her  aid,  and  let  him  die  in  torture.  When  he 
was  dead,  QEnone  repented  of  this  decision  ;  and  when  the  flames 
of  his  funeral  pyre  rose  around  him,  she  rushed  into  their  midst, 
and  was  burned  to  death  on  his  corpse. 

"But  when  she  gain'd  the  broader  vale  and  saw 
The  ring  of  faces  redden'd  by  the  flames 
Infolding  that  dark  body  which  had  lain 
Of  old  in  her  embrace,  paused  — and  then  ask'd 
Falteringly,  '  Who  lies  on  yonder  pyre  ? ' 


332  CLASSICAL   MYTHS. 

But  every  man  was  mute  for  reverence. 

Then  moving  quickly  forward  till  the  heat 

Smote  on  her  brow,  she  lifted  up  a  voice 

Of  shrill  command,  '  Who  burns  upon  the  pyre  ? ' 

Whereon  their  oldest  and  their  boldest  said, 

'  He,  whom  thou  would'st  not  heal ! '  and  all  at  once 

The  morning  light  of  happy  marriage  broke, 

Thro'  all  the  clouded  years  of  widowhood, 

And  muffling  up  her  comely  head,  and  crying 

'  Husband  ! '  she  leapt  upon  the  funeral  pile, 

And  mixt  herself  with  him  and  past  in  fire." 

TENNVSON. 

Two  of  Priam's  sons  had  already  expired,  and  yet  Troy  had 

not  fallen  into   the  hands   of  the  Greeks,  who  now  heard  an- 

The  other  prophecy,  to  the  effect  that  Troy  could  never 

Palladium.  ke  taken  as  ]ong  as  tne  Palladium  —  a  sacred  statue 
of  Minerva,  said  to  have  fallen  from  heaven  —  remained  within 
its  walls  (p.  60).  So  Ulysses  and  Diomedes  in  disguise  effected 
an  entrance  into  the  city  one  night,  and  after  many  difficulties 
succeeded  in  escaping  with  the  precious  image. 

Men  and  chiefs,  impatient  of  further  delay,  now  joyfully  hailed 
Ulysses'  proposal  to  take  the  city  by  stratagem.  They  therefore 
The  wooden  secretly  built  a  colossal  wooden  horse,  within 
horse.  whose  hollow  sides  a  number  of  brave  warriors 
might  lie  concealed.  The  main  army  feigned  weariness  of  the 
endless  enterprise,  and  embarked,  leaving  the  horse  as  a  pre- 
tended offering  to  Neptune ;  while  Sinon,  a  shrewd  slave,  re- 
mained to  persuade  the  Trojans  to  drag  the  horse  within  their 
gates  and  keep  him  there,  a  lasting  monument  of  their  hard-won 
triumph. 

To  the  unbounded  joy  of  the  long-besieged  Trojans,  the  Greek 
fleet  then  sailed  away,  until  the  Island  of  Tenedos  hid  the  ships 
from  view.  All  the  inhabitants  of  Troy  poured  out  of  the  city 
to  view  the  wooden  horse,  and  question  Sinon,  who  pretended 
to  have  great  cause  of  complaint  against  the  Greeks,  and  strongly 
advised  them  to  secure  their  last  offering  to  Neptune. 


THE    TROJAN   WAR.  333 

The  Trojans  hailed  this  idea  with  rapture ;  but  Laocoon,  Nep- 
tune's priest,  implored  them  to  leave  the  horse  alone,  lest  they 
should  bring  untold  evil  upon  their  heads. 

"  'Wretched  countrymen,'  he  cries, 
'  What  monstrous  madness  blinds  your  eyes  ? 

Perchance  —  who  knows  ?  —  these  planks  of  deal 
A  Grecian  ambuscade  conceal, 
Or  'tis  a  pile  to  o'erlook  the  town, 
And  pour  from  high  invaders  down, 
Or  fraud  lurks  somewhere  to  destroy : 
Mistrust,  mistrust  it,  men  of  Troy  ! '  " 

VIKGIL  (Conington's  tr.). 

Deaf  to  all  warnings  and  entreaties,  they  dragged  the  colossal 
image  into  the  very  heart  of  their  city,  tearing  do.wn  a  portion 
of  their  ramparts  to  allow  its  passage,  while  Lao-        Death  of 
coon  hastened  down  to  the  shore  to  offer  sacrifice        Laocoon. 
to  the  gods.     As  he  stood  there  by  the  improvised  altar,  with 
one  of  his  sons  on  either  side  to  assist  him  in  his  office,  two  huge 
serpents  came  out  of  the  sea,  coiled  themselves  around  him  and 
his  sons,  and  crushed  and  bit  them  to  death. 

"  Unswerving  they 
Toward  Laocoon  hold  their  way ; 
First  round  his  two  young  sons  they  wreathe, 
And  grind  their  limbs  with  savage  teeth : 
Then,  as  with  arms  he  comes  to  aid, 
The  wretched  father  they  invade 
And  twine  in  giant  folds :  twice  round 
His  stalwart  waist  their  spires  are  wound, 
Twice  round  his  neck,  while  over  all 
Their  heads  and  crests  tower  high  and  tall. 
He  strains  his  strength  their  knots  to  tear, 
While  gore  and  slime  his  fillets  smear, 
And  to  the  unregardful  skies 
Sends  up  his  agonizing  cries." 

VIRGIL  (Conington's  tr.). 


(334) 


LAOCOON. 
( Vatican,  Rome.) 


THE    TROJAN    WAR.  335 

The  awestruck  witnesses  of  this  terrible  scene,  of  course,  de- 
clared that  the  gods  resented  his  interference  concerning  the 
wooden  horse,  and  had  justly  punished  the  sacrilegious  hand 
which  had  dared  strike  it  with  a  spear,  merely  to  demonstrate, 
that,  being  hollow,  it  might  contain  an  armed  band.  Ever  since 
then,  Laocoon  and  his  sons'  struggle  with  the  serpents  has  been 
a  favorite  subject  for  poets  and  artists. 

In  the  mean  while,  the  Greeks  had  been  hiding  behind  Tene- 
dos ;  but  when  night  came  on,  they  returned  to  the  site  of  their 
ten-years'  encampment,  and  were  let  into  the  city 

,  Fall  of  Troy. 

by  Smon,  who  also  released  their  companions  from 
their  prison  within  the  wooden  horse.  Although  taken  by  sur- 
prise, the  city  guards  made  desperate  attempts  to  repel  the  Greeks ; 
but  it  was  now  too  late,  for  the  enemy  had  already  broken  into 
houses  and  palaces,  and  were  killing,  pillaging,  and  burning  all  in 
their  way. 

"  The  melancholy  years, 
The  miserable  melancholy  years, 
Crept  onward  till  the  midnight  terror  came, 
And  by  the  glare  of  burning  streets  I  saw 
Palace  and  temple  reel  in  ruin  and  fall, 
And  the  long-baffled  legions,  bursting  in 
Through  gate  and  bastion,  blunted  sword  and  spear 
With  unresisted  slaughter." 

LEWIS  MORRIS. 

The  royal  family,  even,  was  not  exempt  from  the  general 
massacre ;  and  the  aged  Priam,  who  lived  to  see  his  last  son 
perish  before  his  eyes,  finally  found  relief  in  death. 

Their  object  accomplished,  the  Greeks  immediately  sailed  for 
home,  their  vessels  heavily  laden  with  plunder  and  slaves.     But 
the  homeward  journey  was  not  as  joyful  as  might     Return  of  the 
have  been   expected;   and   many,  after  escaping 
from  the  enemy's  hands,  perished  in  the  waves,  or  found  death 
lying  in  wait  for  them  by  their  own  fireside. 

Menelaus,  with  his  wife  Hele*n,  who,  in  spite  of  the  added  ten 


336  CLASSICAL  MYTHS. 

years,  retained  all  her  youthful  beauty,  were  detained  in  Egypt  by 
contrary  winds,  sent  to  punish  them  for  omitting  the  usual  sacri- 
fice to  the  gods.  He  at  last  consulted  Proteus,  who  revealed 
how  the  wrath  of  the  gods  could  best  be  allayed,  and  how  favor- 
able winds  could  be  secured  to  waft  him  home. 

As  for  Agamemnon,  leader  of  the  Greeks,  he  returned  to  Argos 
only  to  be  murdered  by  his  wife  Clytsemnestra  and  her  paramour 
yEgisthus. 

"  '  ^Egisthus,  bent  upon  my  death, 
Plotted  against  me  with  my  guilty  wife, 
And  bade  me  to  his  house,  and  slew  me  there, 
Even  at  the  banquet.'  " 

HOMER  (Bryant's  tr. ). 

Then,  mortally  afraid  lest  Orestes,  Agamemnon's  son,  should 
avenge  his  father's  death,  yEgisthus  prepared  to  slay  him  too  ;  but 
Electra,  the  boy's  sister,  discovering  this  intention,  helped  him 
to  escape,  and  placed  him  under  the  fatherly  protection  of  Stro- 
phius,  King  of  Phocis,  whose  son,  Pylades,  became  his  insepara- 
ble friend.  In  fact,  their  devotion  to  each  other  was  so  great, 
that  it  has  become  proverbial  in  every  tongue. 

Electra  had  not  forgotten  her  father's  base  murder,  although 
years  had  elapsed  since  it  occurred ;  and  when  Orestes  had 
attained  manhood,  she  bade  him  come  and  punish  those  who  had 
committed  the  crime.  Orestes  came,  slew  /Egisthus  and  Clytaem- 
nestra,  and  then,  terrified  at  what  he  had  done,  took  flight,  but 
only  to  be  pursued  by  the  Furies  and  Nemesis,  goddess  of  re- 
venge, sent  by  the  gods  to  punish  him  for  taking  justice  into  his 
own  hands. 

Arrived  at  Delphi,  Orestes  consulted  the  oracle,  and  learned 
that  his  crime  would  be  forgiven  if  he  brought  a  statue  of  Diana 
in  Tauris  back  to  Greece.  The  young  prince  hastened  thither, 
accompanied  by  the  ever-faithful  Pylades,  who  never  left  his  side ; 
and  there,  in  a  temple,  he  found  his  long-lost  sister  Iphigenia, 
who  helped  him  obtain  the  image  he  sought,  and  accompanied 
him  back  to  his  native  land,  where  Nemesis  left  him  forever. 


CHAPTER    XXVIII. 

ADVENTURES    OF    ULYSSES. 

THE  Greek  chiefs,  on  their  return  from  Troy,  were,  as  we  have 
seen,  all  more  or  less  visited  by  the  wrath  of  the  gods ;  but  none 
of  them  endured  as  many  hardships  as  Ulysses  (Odysseus),  King 
of  Ithaca,  the  hero  of  Homer's  world-renowned  epic  the  Odyssey. 
During  ten  long  years  he  roamed  the  seas,  driven  away  from  his 
native  land  by  adverse  winds,  sailing  about  from  place  to  place, 
losing  his  ships  and  companions,  until  at  last  the  gods  allowed 
him  to  return  home.  His  marvelous  adventures  and  numerous 
mishaps  during  these  ten  years  form  the  theme  of  the  Odyssey, 
which  is  about  as  follows. 

After  leaving  Troy  in  ruins,  Ulysses  embarked  with  his  men 
and  spoils,  and,  favored  by  a  good  wind,  soon  came  within  sight 
of  Ismarus,  the  home  of  the  worthy  and  wealthy         Siege  of 
Ciconians.      To  increase  the  riches  he  was  carry-        ismarus. 
ing  home,  he  proposed  to  his  army  to  land  and  storm  the  city, — 
a  proposal  which  was  enthusiastically  received  and  immediately 
carried  out. 

But  when  the  men  collected  near  the  fleet,  instead  of  embarking 
as  Ulysses  urged  them  to  do,  they  began  to  drink  the  rich  wine, 
to  roast  oxen  whole,  and  to  indulge  in  games  and  revelry.  While 
they  were  thus  employed  and  entirely  off  their  guard,  the  neigh- 
bors and  allies  of  the  Ciconians  came  upon  them  unawares,  and 
put  many  to  death. 

The  Greeks,  although  taken  by  surprise,  fought  bravely ;  but 
it  was  only  when  the  sun  was  fast  sinking,  that  they  finally  em- 
barked, and  left  the  fatal  Ciconian  shores. 

337 


338  CLASSICAL  MYTHS. 

"  Onward  we  sailed,  lamenting  bitterly 
Our  comrades  slain,  yet  happy  to  escape 
From  death  ourselves." 

HOMER  (Bryant's  tr.). 

A  hurricane  soon  arose.  The  flying  clouds  blotted  the  stars 
from  view.  The  vessels,  with  broken  masts  and  torn  sails,  were 
Xhe  driven  far  out  of  their  course,  and,  after  ten  days, 

Lotus-eaters,  reached  the  land  of  the  Lotophagi  or  Lotus-eat- 
ers,—  a  people  whose  sole  food  consisted  of  lotus  fruit  and 
blossoms. 

Three  of  Ulysses'  best  men  were  sent  ashore  to  reconnoiter ; 
but  they  had  not  gone  very  far  before  they  met  the  natives,  seated 
under  their  favorite  trees,  banqueting  on  their  sweet  food.  These 
received  the  strangers  hospitably,  and  made  them  partake  of  the 
lotus  blossoms ;  but  no  sooner  had  the  three  men  done  so,  than  all 
recollection  of  their  waiting  companions  or  distant  homes  passed 
from  their  minds,  while  a  dreamy,  lethargic  sensation  stole  over 
them,  and  made  them  long  to  recline  there  and  feast  forever. 

"Whoever  tasted  once  of  that  sweet  food 
Wished  not  to  see  his  native  country  more, 
Nor  give  his  friends  the  knowledge  of  his  fate. 
And  then  my  messengers  desired  to  dwell 
Among  the  Lotus-eaters,  and  to  feed 
Upon  the  lotus,  never  to  return." 

HOMER  (Bryant's  tr.). 

Ulysses  impatiently  watched  for  their  return  ;  then,  seeing  they 
did  not  appear,  feared  some  evil  had  befallen  them,  and  set  out, 
with  a  few  well-armed  men,  to  go  in  search  of  them.  Instead  of 
finding  them  in  chains,  as  he  fully  expected,  he  soon  perceived 
them  feasting  among  the  Lotus-eaters.  Their  eyes  had  lost  all 
animation,  and  rested  upon  him  in  a  vague,  dreamy  way,  which 
aroused  his  suspicions.  At  the  same  moment  some  of  the  Lotus- 
eaters  advanced  to  invite  him  and  his  troop  to  join  in  their 
feast. 


ADVENTURES  OF  ULYSSES.  339 

"  Branches  they  bore  of  that  enchanted  stem, 
Laden  with  flower  and  fruit,  whereof  they  gave 
To  each,  but  whoso  did  receive  of  them, 
And  taste,  to  him  the  gushing  of  the  wave 
Far,  far  away  did  seem  to  mourn  and  rave 
On  alien  shores ;  and  if  his  fellow  spake, 
His  voice  was  thin,  as  voices  from  the  grave ; 
And  deep  asleep  he  seem'd,  yet  all  awake, 
And  music  in  his  ears  his  beating  heart  did  make." 

TENNYSON. 

In  peremptory  tones  Ulysses  quickly  forbade  his  men  to  taste 
of  the  magic  food,  directed  them  to  seize  and  bind  their  unwilling 
comrades,  and  forcibly  take  them  back  to  their  ships.  There  the 
magic  effect  of  the  lotus  food  soon  wore  away,  and  the  men 
rowed  steadily  westward,  until  they  came  to  the  Island  of  Sicily, 
then  inhabited  by  the  Cyclopes,  a  rude  race  of  one-eyed  giants. 

"  A  single  ball  of  sight  was  fix'd 
In  their  mid-forehead :  hence  the  Cyclops'  name : 
For  that  one  circular  eye  was  broad  infix'd 
In  the  mid-forehead :  — strength  was  theirs,  and  force, 
And  craft  of  curious  toil." 

HESIOD  (Elton's  tr.). 

The  main  part  of  the  fleet  was  stationed  at  another  island  not 
far  distant,  but  Ulysses  and  twelve  companions  landed  in  Sicily 
in  search  of  food.  The  prospect  was  promising,  for  on  the  plains 
and  hillsides  great  flocks  of  sheep  cropped  the  tender  grass ;  and 
Ulysses  and  his  followers  soon  came  to  a  great  cave  filled  with 
rich  stores  of  milk  and  cheese.  This  was  the  abode  of  Poly- 
phemus, son  of  Neptune,  the  largest  and  fiercest  among  the 
gigantic  Cyclopean  race.  The  Greeks'  first  impulse  was  to  help 
themselves,  since  no  one  was  there  to  say  them  nay ;  but  they 
finally  decided  to  await  the  master's  home-coming,  and  cour- 
teously ask  his  assistance.  They  had  moored  their  vessel  under 
an  overhanging  cliff,  where  no  one  would  be  likely  to  find  it, 
and  had  therefore  no  fear  lest  their  means  of  escape  should  be 
cut  off. 


(34°) 


TRIUMPH  OF  GALATEA.— Raphael. 


ADVENTURES   OF   ULYSSES.  341 

Polyphemus,  the  ugly  giant  in  whose  cave  they  were  waiting, 
had  once  seen  the  charming  sea  nymph  Galatea  riding  in  her 
pearl-shell  chariot  drawn   by  bounding  dolphins.      Polyphemus 
Her  unsurpassed  loveliness  made  a  vivid  impres-      and  Galatea- 
sion  upon  him,  and  he  was  soon  deeply  in  love  with  her.     He 
neglected  his  flocks,  shunned  his  companions,  and  spent  all  his 
time  near  the  seashore,  watching  for  her,  and  bitterly  cursing  his 
fate,  which  prevented  his  seeking  her  in  her  native  element,  for 
the  gods  had  gifted  the  race  of  Cyclops  with  an  unconquerable 
aversion  to  water.     He 

-"lov'd 

Not  in  the  little  present-making  style, 
With  baskets  of  new  fruit  and  pots  of  roses, 
But  with  consuming  passion.     Many  a  time 
Would  his  flocks  go  home  by  themselves  at  eve, 
Leaving  him  wasting  by  the  dark  seashore, 
And  sunrise  would  behold  him  wasting  still." 

THEOCRITUS  (Hunt's  tr.). 

To  induce  Galatea  to  leave  the  salt  sea  waves  and  linger  by 
his  side  on  the  white  sandy  beach,  Polyphemus  constantly  made 
the  most  extravagant  promises ;  but  the  dainty  nymph  merely 
laughed  at  all  his  professions,  and  strolled  on  the  shore  only 
when  he  was  sound  asleep.  Although  she  made  fun  of  his  love, 
she  was  not  so  obdurate  to  the  suit  of  Acis,  a  very  fascinating 
young  shepherd,  who  had  no  need  to  call  her  repeatedly  ;  for  she 
always  yielded  to  his  first  appeal,  joyfully  joined  him,  and  sat 
beside  him  under  the  shade  of  some  great  rock,  listening  to  his 
tender  wooing. 

Polyphemus  once  accidentally  came  upon  them  thus,  ere  they 
were  aware  of  his  proximity.  For  a  moment  he  glared  down 
upon  them ;  then,  seizing  a  huge  rock,  he  vowed  his  rival  Acis 
should  not  live  to  enjoy  the  love  which  was  denied  him,  and 
hurled  it  down  upon  the  unsuspecting  lovers.  Galatea,  the  god- 
dos,  being  immortal,  escaped  unhurt ;  but  poor  Acis,  her  beloved, 
was  crushed  to  death.  The  stream  of  blood  from  his  mangled 


(342)  POLYPHEMUS,  ACIS,  AND  GALATEA.— Caracci. 

(  Farnese  Palace,  Rome.) 


ADVENTURES   OF   ULYSSES.  343 

remains  was  changed  by  the  gods  into  an  exhaustless  stream 
^   of  limpid  water,  which  ever  hastened  down  to  the  sea  to  join 
Galatea. 

Ulysses  and  his  companions,  waiting  in  the  cave,  soon  felt  the 
ground  shake  beneath  their  feet,  and  saw  the  sheep  throng  into 
the  cave  and  take  their  usual  places ;   then  behind     Polyphemus1 
them  came  the  horrible  apparition  of  Polyphemus,  cave- 

who  picked  up  a  huge  rock  and  placed  it  before  the  opening  of 
the  cave,  preventing  all  egress.  Ulyssae'  companions  had  shrunk 
with  fear  into  the  darkest  corners  of  the  cave,  whence  they 
watched  the  giant  milk  his  ewes,  dispose  of  his  cheeses,  and 
make  his  evening  meal.  But  the  firelight  soon  revealed  the  in- 
truders ;  and  Polyphemus  immediately  demanded  who  they  were, 
whence  they  came,  and  what  they  were  seeking. 

Ulysses,  ever  wily,  replied  that  his  name  was  No  man,  that  he 
and  his  companions  were  shipwrecked  mariners,  and»that  they 
would  fain  receive  his  hospitality.  In  answer  to  this  statement, 
the  Cyclops  stretched  forth  his  huge  hand  and  grasped  two  of  the 
sailors,  whom  he  proceeded  to  devour  for  dessert.  Then,  his 
frightful  repast  being  ended,  he  lay  down  on  the  rushes  and 
fell  asleep,  his  loud  snores  reverberating  like  thunder  through, 
the  great  cave. 

Ulysses  silently  crept  to  his  side,  sword  in  hand,  and  was  about 
to  kill  him,  when  he  suddenly  recollected  that  neither  he  nor 
his  men  could  move  the  rock  at  the  cave's  mouth,  and  that  they 
would  never  be  able  to  escape.  He  therefore  resolved  to  have 
recourse  to  a  stratagem. 

When  morning  came,  the  giant  rose,  milked  his  flock,  made  his 
cheese,  arranged  the  vessels,  and  then,  without  the  least  warning, 
again  seized  and  devoured  two  of  the  Greeks.  His  brawny  arm 
next  pushed  aside  the  rock,  and  he  stood  beside  it  with  watchful 
eye,  until  all  his  herd  had  passed  out ;  then,  replacing  the  stone 
to  prevent  the  escape  of  his  prisoners,  he  went  off  to  the  distant 
pasture  ground. 

During  his  absence,  Ulysses  and  his  men  devised  a  cunning 


344  CLASSICAL   MYTHS. 

plan  whereby  they  hoped  to  effect  their  escape,  and  made  all 
their  preparations  to  insure  its  complete  success.  A  huge  pine 
club  which  they  found  in  the  cave  was  duly  pointed,  hardened 
in  the  fire,  and  set  aside  for  future  use. 

When  the  darkness  began  to  fall  over  the  earth,  Polyphemus 
again  rolled  the  stone  away  to  admit  his  flocks,  keeping  careful 
guard  upon  the  Greeks.  The  sheep  all  in,  he  replaced  the  rock, 
performed  his  usual  evening  duties,  and  then  devoured  two  of 
Ulysses'  crew. 

When  this  part  of  the  evening  meal  was  over,  Ulysses  drew  near 

and  offered  him  a  leather  flask  full  of  heady  wine,  which  the  giant 

uiysses  blinds    to°^  down  at  a  gulp,  little  suspecting  its  effect. 

Polyphemus.     Very  soon  he  sank  into  a  deep  drunken  sleep  ;  and 

then  the  men,  at  a  sign  from  Ulysses,  heated  the  point  of  the  huge 

club  and  put  out  his  sole  eye,  in  spite  of  his  frightful  cries  and 

execration^,   which  soon    attracted   the  attention  of  the  other 

Cyclopes. 

They  thronged  without  the  cave,  clamoring  to  know  who  was 
hurting  him.  "  No  man  ! "  replied  the  Cyclops,  howling  with 
pain,  "  No  man  ! "  which  answer  convinced  his  would-be  helpers 
that  he  needed  no  assistance,  and  made  them  disperse. 

"  '  If  no  man  does  thee  violence,  and  thou 
Art  quite  alone,  reflect  that  none  escape 
Diseases ;  they  are  sent  by  Jove.'  " 

HOMER  (Bryant's  tr.). 

Deserted  by  his  companions,  Polyphemus  spent  the  night  in 

agony;  and,  when  the  anxious  lowing  of  his  herd  roused  him 

uiysses'        at  break  of  day,  he  fumblingly  milked  them,  and 

escape.         prepared  to  let  them  go  forth,  as  usual,  in  search 

of  their  morning  meal.     To  avoid  the  Greeks  escaping,  he  rolled 

the  stone  only  partly  aside,  and  allowed  the  sheep  to  pass  out  a 

few  at  a  time,  carefully  running  his  hand  over  each  broad  back 

to  make  sure  that  none  of  the  prisoners  were  mounted  upon  them. 

Ulysses,  in  the  mean  while,  having  observed  this  maneuver, 


ADTENTL'RES   OF   L'LYSSES.  345 

fastened  his  companions  under  the  rams,  reserving  one  for  his 
own  use,  and  watched  them  pass  out  one  after  the  other  unde- 
tected. Then,  clinging  to  the  wool  of  the  largest  ram,  he  too 
was  slowly  dragged  out ;  while  Polyphemus  petted  the  ram,  and 
inquired  how  he  came  to  pass  out  last  of  all. 

"  '  My  favorite  ram,  how  art  thou  now  the  last 
To  leave  the  cave  ?     It  hath  not  been  thy  wont 
To  let  the  sheep  go  first,  but  thou  didst  come 
Earliest  to  feed  among  the  flowery  grass, 
Walking  with  stately  strides,  and  thou  wert  first 
At  the  fresh  stream,  and  first  at  eve  to  seek 
The  stable ;  now  thou  art  the  last  of  all. 
Grievest  thou  for  thy  master,  who  has  lost 
His  eye,  put  out  by  a  deceitful  wretch 
And  his  vile  crew? ' ' 

HOMER  (Bryant's  tr. ). 

Ulysses,  having  thus  escaped,  sprang  to  his  feet,  set  his  com- 
panions free,  rushed  with  them  down  to  the  seashore,  taking  the 
choice  animals  on  board,  and  then,  when  his  men  had  rowed 
some  distance,  raised  his  voice  and  taunted  Polyphemus,  reveal- 
ing at  the  same  time  his  identity. 

"  '  Ha  !  Cyclops  !    those  whom  in  thy  rocky  cave 
Thou,  in  thy  brutal  fury,  hast  devoured, 
Were  friends  of  one  not  unexpert  in  war; 
Amply  have  thy  own  guilty  deeds  returned 
Upon  thee.     Cruel  one  !  who  didst  not  fear 
To  eat  the  strangers  sheltered  by  thy  roof, 
Jove  and  the  other  gods  avenge  them  thus ! 

Cyclops,  if  any  man  of  mortal  birth 
Note  thine  unseemly  blindness,  and  inquire 
The  occasion,  tell  him  that  Laertes'  son, 
Ulysses,  the  destroyer  of  walled  towns. 
Whose  home  is  Ithaca,  put  out  thine  eye.'" 

HOMKK  (I'.rvant's  tr.). 

With  a  cry  of  rage,  Polyphemus  then  ran  down  to  the  shore, 
tore  up  some  huge  rocks,  which  he  hurled  in  the  direction  whence 


346  CLASSICAL    MYTHS. 

the  taunting  voice  came,  and  in  his  rage  almost  destroyed  the 
Greeks ;  for  one  piece  of  rock  fell  very  near  their  vessel,  and 
they  were  forced  to  redouble  their  efforts  to  row  out  of  reach 
and  prevent  disaster. 

The   Greeks   now  sailed  on   until    they  reached  the  ^Eolian 

Islands,  where  dwelt  yEolus,  king  and  father  of  the  winds.     He 

had  heard  of  Ulysses'  prowess,  received  him  kindlv, 

Gift  of  -ffiolus.  .          * 

and  at  parting  gave  him  a  leather  bag  containing 
all  the  contrary  winds,  which  Ulysses  was  thus  at  liberty  to 
retain  imprisoned  until  he  had  safely  reached  home  (p.  214). 

Day  and  night  Ulysses'  barks  now  bounded  over  the  blue 
waves.  On  the  ninth  evening  the  shores  of  Ithaca  were  dis- 
cerned by  the  eager  eyes  on  board,  and  all  made  their  prepa- 
rations for  landing  early  the  next  morning.  For  the  first  time 
since  he  had  left  the  ^Eolian  shores,  Ulysses  now  indulged  in 
sleep ;  and  while  he  was  lost  in  oblivion  his  sailors  opened  the 
leather  bag,  intending  to  rob  their  master  of  a  portion  of  his 
treasure,  for  they  imagined  that  ^Eolus  had  given  him  much 
gold. 

The  bag  was  no  sooner  opened,  than  the  contrary  winds,  weary 
and  cramped  with  their  uncomfortable  position,  sprang  out  with  a 
rush  and  a  roar,  and  in  a  few  moments  stirred  up  a  terrible 
storm,  which  tore  the  ships  from  their  anchors,  and  soon  drove 
them  far  out  to  sea. 

After  untold  suffering,  the  Greeks  landed  again  upon  the 
^Eolian  Isle,  and  Ulysses  sought  the  king,  to  beseech  his  aid 
once  more ;  but  this  time  the  god  received  him  coldly,  and  bade 
him  depart,  as  his  cruelty  to  Polyphemus  had  awakened  the 
gods'  wrath.  ^ 

"  '  Hence  with  thee  !     Leave  our  island  instantly, 
Vilest  of  living  men  !     It  may  not  be 
That  I  receive  or  aid  as  he  departs 
One  who  is  hated  by  the  blessed  gods,  — 
And  thou  art  hated  by  the  gods.     Away ! ' " 

HOMER  (Bryant's  tr.). 


ADVENTURES  OF   ULYSSES.  347 

Sorrowfully  now  the  Greeks  embarked ;  but,  instead  of  being 
hurried  along  by  favorable  winds,  they  were  obliged  to  row 
against  wind  and  waves,  and  only  after  many  days  The 

came  to  the  land  of  the  Laestrygonians,  where  fresh  Laestryg°mans. 
losses  awaited  them.  These  people  were  cannibals,  who  were  in 
the  habit  of  slaying  all  the  strangers  who  visited  their  shores,  to 
satisfy  their  horrible  appetites.  When  they  saw  the  vessels  enter 
their  harbor,  they  sunk  some  of  them  by  casting  huge  rocks  at 
them  from  their  tall  cliffs,  and  speared  and  devoured  the  unfor- 
tunate crews. 

Ulysses,  ever  cautious,  had  lingered  without  the  harbor;  and 
when,  from  afar,  he  saw  his  companions'  horrible  fate,  he  bade 
his  men  strike  the  waves  with  their  "sounding  oars"  and  escape. 

The  Greeks  went  on  again  until  they  came  to  AZaea.,  an  island 
inhabited  by  the  golden-haired  enchantress  Circe,  sister  of  ^Eetes, 
and  aunt  of  Medea.  Here  Ulysses'  crew  was  di-  circe,  the 
vided  into  two  parties,  one  of  which,  led  by  Eury-  enchantress, 
lochus,  set  out  to  explore  the  island,  while  the  other,  headed  by 
Ulysses,  remained  to  guard  the  ships.  Through  a  dense  forest, 
peopled  with  strangely  gentle  wild  beasts,  Eurylochus  led  his 
force,  until  they  came  in  sight  of  the  beautiful  palace  home 
of  Circe.  From  afar  they  could  hear  her  sweet  voice  raised  in 
song,  as  she  wove  a  beautiful  web  for  her  own  adornment :  so 
they  pressed  eagerly  on,  and  entered  the  palace  hall,  Eurylochus 
alone  lingering  on  the  porch,  fearing  lest  some  fraud  might  sud- 
denly be  revealed. 

Circe  received  her  self-invited  guests  most  graciously,  seated 
them  on  tapestry-covered  couches,  and  bade  her  numerous  hand- 
maidens speedily  set  before  them  all  manner  of  good  cheer,  —  an 
order  which  was  immediately  carried  out.  The  men  feasted  greed- 
ily, for  they  had  fasted  for  many  days,  and  Circe  watched  them  with 
ill-concealed  disgust.  Suddenly  she  started  from  her  seat,  waved 
her  wand  over  their  heads,  and  bade  them  assume  the  form  of 
swine  (which  obscene  animals  their  gluttony  suggested),  and  hie 
them  to  their  sties. 


(348) 


ADVENTURES   OF   ULYSSES.  349 

"  Then  instantly 

She  touched  them  with  a  wand,  and  shut  them  up 
In  sties,  transformed  to  swine  in  head  and  voice, 
Bristles  and  shape,  though  still  the  human  mind 
Remained  to  them.     Thus  sorrowing  they  were  driven 
Into  their  cells,  where  Circe  flung  to  them 
Acorns  of  oak  and  ilex,  and  the  fruit 
Of  cornel,  such  as  nourish  wallowing  swine." 

HOMER  (Bryant's  tr. ). 

Eurylochus,  meanwhile,  vainly  awaited  their  return,  and  finally 
resolved  to  go  back  alone  to  the  ships  and  report  what  had  hap- 
pened. Sword  in  hand,  Ulysses  then  set  out  alone  to  rescue  his 
comrades ;  but  he  had  not  gone  far  before  he  met  a  youth,  — 
Mercury  in  disguise,  —  who  warned  him  not  to  approach  any 
nearer  Circe,  and  told  him  of  his  companions'  transformation. 

As  Ulysses  would  not  be  dissuaded  from  his  purpose,  Mercury 
gave  him  some  moly,  an  herb  warranted  to  pre-      uiysses  and 
serve  him  from  Circe's  magic  spells,  and  sundry 
important  directions,  which  were  all  duly  listened  to  and  observed. 

Pressing  onward,  Ulysses  reached  the  palace,  entered  the  ban- 
quet room,  drank  Circe's  mixture,  which  was  rendered  ineffective 
by  the  moly's  power,  and,  when  she  waved  her  wand  over  his 
head  and  bade  him  join  his  fellows,  drew  his  sword  and  rushed 
upon  her,  threatening  to  take  her  life  if  she  did  not  immediately 
restore  his  friends  to  their  human  forms,  and  promise  to  do  them 
no  further  harm. 

Circe,  terrified  at  the  threat,  agreed  to  comply  with  all  his 
demands;  and  in  a  few  moments  Ulysses  was  again  surrounded 
by  his  companions,  who  were  touchingly  grateful  for  their  rescue. 
Circe  now  prepared  a  second  feast,  and  entertained  them  all  so 
well,  that  Ulysses  lingered  there  for  one  whole  year. 

"  And  there  from  day  to  day 
We  lingered  a  full  year,  and  banqueted 
Nobly  on  plenteous  meats  and  delicate  wines." 

HOMER  (Bryant's  tr.). 


35°  CLASSICAL   MYTHS. 

At  the  end  of  that  time,  Ulysses'  companions  began  to  long 

for  their  own  homes,  and  prevailed  upon  their  chief  to  leave  the 

Ulysses  visits    ^r  enchantress  Circe.    At  first  she  was  loath  to  let 

Cimmeria.  fam  gO .  but,  seeing  that  her  efforts  to  detain  him 
longer  would  be  of  no  avail,  she  bade  him  seek  the  Cimmerian 
shores,  and  there  consult  the  seer  Tiresias.  This  land,  which  lay 
on  the  confines  of  Pluto's  dark  realm,  was  inhabited  by  shadows, 
the  spirits  of  the  dead,  condemned  to  sojourn  there  a  while  ere 
they  were  admitted  into  Hades. 

Ulysses  embarked,  and,  according  to  Circe's  directions,  let  his 
vessel  drift  along  until  its  prow  grated  on  a  pebbly  beach,  where 
he  landed.  Then,  walking  straight  before  him,  he  came  to  a 
spot  whence  he  could  hear  the  roar  of  the  Phlegethon  as  it  joined 
the  Acheron,  and  here  he  dug  a  trench  with  his  sword. 

The  trench  finished,  he  killed  two  black  victims,  furnished  by 
Circe,  and  made  their  blood  flow  into  the  trench.  Immediately 
all  the  spirits  crowded  about  him,  eager  to  drink  the  fresh  blood  ; 
but  Ulysses,  with  drawn  sword,  forced  them  back,  until  at  last 
Tiresias,  the  blind  seer,  approached. 

He  was  allowed  to  stoop  down  and  drink ;  and,  as  soon  as  he 
had  done  so,  he  recovered  the  power  of  human  speech,  and  warned 
Ulysses  of  the  many  trials  still  awaiting  him.  Then,  his  prophecy 
concluded,  he  vanished ;  but  Ulysses  lingered  a  little  longer  to 
allow  his  mother  to  drink  some  blood,  and  explain  how  she  came 
to  be  here  in  the  spirit  land. 

Many  others  came  and  conversed  with  him ;  but  at  last  he  was 
forced  to  depart,  and  return  to  JEsea.,  where  he  lingered  to  perform 
the  funeral  rites  for  Elpenor,  —  one  of  his  followers,  a  youth 
who  had  fallen  asleep  on  one  of  the  palace  turrets,  and  by  an  in- 
advertent movement  had  fallen  to  the  ground,  where  he  had  been 
found  dead. 

These  obsequies  over,  the  Greeks,  favored  by  a  fresh  wind,  left 
Circe's  isle,  and  sailed  along  until  they  drew  near 

The  Sirens.  . 

the  rocky  ledge  where  the  Sirens  had  their  abode. 
These  maidens  were  wont  to  sit  on  the  rocks  and  sing  entrancing 


05') 


352  CLASSICAL  MYTHS. 

songs,  which  allured  the  mariners  until  they  turned  aside  from 
their  course,  and  their  vessels  were  dashed  to  pieces  on  the  rocks. 

According  to  Circe's  advice,  Ulysses  bade  his  men  bind  him 
fast  to  the  mast,  disregard  his  cries  and  gestures  of  command, 
and  keep  on  their  course  until  the  dangerous  rocks  were  lost  to 
view ;  but,  before  he  allowed  them  to  execute  these  orders,  he 
stopped  their  ears  with  melted  wax,  so  they  could  not  hear  a 
sound,  for  he  alone  could  hear  the  Sirens'  song  and  live. 

The  men  then  bound  him  hand  and  foot  to  the  mast,  returned 
to  their  oars,  and  rowed  steadily  on.  Soon  the  Sirens'  melody 
fell  upon  Ulysses'  charmed  ears ;  but,  although  he  commanded 
and  implored  his  men  to  set  him  free  and  alter  their  course,  they 
kept  steadily  on  until  no  sound  of  the  magic  song  could  reach 
them,  when  they  once  more  set  their  leader  free. 

Now,  although  this  danger  had  been  safely  passed,  Ulysses 
was  troubled  in  spirit,  for  he  knew  he  would  soon  be  obliged 

charybdis       to  steer  his  course  between  two  dread  monsters, 

and  Scyiia.  Charybdis  and  Scylla,  who  lay  so  close  together, 
that,  while  striving  to  avoid  one,  it  was  almost  impossible  not  to 
fall  an  easy  prey  to  the  other. 

Charybdis'  den  lay  under  a  rock  crowned  with  a  single  wild 
fig  tree ;  and  three  times  daily  she  ingulfed  the  surrounding 
waters,  drawing  even  large  galleys  into  her  capacious  jaws. 

As  for  Scylla,  she  too  dwelt  in  a  cave,  whence  her  six  ugly 
heads  protruded  to  devour  any  prey  that  came  within  reach. 

"No  mariner  can  boast 
That  he  has  passed  by  Scylla  with  a  crew 
Unharmed ;  she  snatches  from  the  deck,  and  bears 
Away  in  each  grim  mouth,  a  living  man." 

HOMER  (Bryant's  tr.). 

This  selfsame  Scylla,  once  a  lovely  maiden,  had  won  the  heart 
of  the  sea  god  Glaucus  (p.  303),  but  coquettishly  tormented  him 
until  he  implored  Circe  to  give  him  some  love  potion  strong 
enough  to  compel  her  love. 


ADVENTURES   OF   ULYSSES.  353 

Circe,  who  had  long  nursed  a  secret  passion  for  Glaucus,  was 
angry  at  him,  and  jealous  of  her  rival,  and,  instead  of  a  love 
potion,  prepared  a  loathsome  drug,  which  she  bade  him  pour 
into  the  water  where  Scylla  was  wont  to  bathe.  Glaucus  faithfully 
did  as  she  commanded  ;  but  when  Scylla  plunged  into  the  water, 
her  body,  and  not  her  feelings,  changed,  and  she  became  a  loath- 
some monster,  a  terror  to  gods  and  men. 

When  in  sight  of  the  fig  tree,  Ulysses,  cased  in  armor,  stood 
on  the  prow  to  attack  Scylla  should  she  attempt  to  seize  one 
of  his  crew.  The  sound  of  the  rushing  waters  whirling  around 
Charybdis  made  all  on  board  tremble  with  fear,  and  the  pilot 
steered  nearer  still  to  dread  Scylla's  den. 

Suddenly  a  piercing  cry  was  heard,  as  the  monster  seized  six 
of  the  men  and  devoured  them.  The  rest  passed  on  unharmed ; 
but  since  then,  in  speaking  of  conflicting  dangers,  it  has  been 
customary  to  use  the  expression,  "  falling  from  Charybdis  into 
Scylla." 

Only  too  glad  to  effect  an  escape  at  any  price,  the  Greeks 
again  rowed  on  until  they  sighted  Trinacria,  the  island  of  the  sun, 
where  Phaetusa  and  Lampetia  watched  over  the     cattieofthe 
sun  god's  sacred  herds.    The  men  wished  to  land 
here  to  rest ;   but  Ulysses  reminded  them  that  Tiresias,  the  blind 
seer,  had  warned  them  to  avoid  it,  lest  by  slaying  any  of  the 
sacred  animals  they  should  incur  divine  wrath. 

The  men,  however,  worn  out  with  the  toil  of  many  days'  row- 
ing, entreated  so  piteously  to  be  allowed  to  rest,  voluntarily 
pledging  themselves  to  be  content  with  their  own  provisions  and 
not  to  slay  a  single  animal,  that  Ulysses  reluctantly  yielded  to 
their  entreaties,  and  all  went  ashore. 

After  they  had  duly  rested,  they  were  still  detained  by  un- 
favorable winds,  until  all  their  provisions  were  exhausted,  and 
the  few  birds  and  fishes  they  managed  to  secure  no  longer  sufficed 
to  still  the  pangs'of  hunger. 

Led  by  Eurylochus,  some  of  the  men,  during  one  of  Ulysses' 
temporary  absences,  caught  and  slew  some  of  the  sun  god's 


354  CLASSICAL   MYTHS. 

cattle.  To  the  general  amazement  and^  terror,  the  meat  lowed 
while  roasting  on  the  spit,  and  the  empty  skins  moved  and  crawled 
as  if  alive.  All  these  sounds  and  sights  could  not,  however,  deter 
the  sailors,  who  were  bound  to  have  a  good  feast,  which  they 
kept  up  for  seven  days,  ere  Ulysses  could  make  them  leave  the 
Trinacrian  shores. 

In  the  mean  while,  Lampetia  had  hastened  to  Apollo  to  apprise 
him  of  the  crime  committed  by  Ulysses'  men.  In  anger  he  ap- 
peared before  the  assembled  gods  and  demanded  amends,  threat- 
ening to  withdraw  the  light  of  his  countenance  if  he  were  not 
properly  indemnified.  Jupiter,  to  appease  his  hot  anger,  imme- 
diately promised  that  all  the  offenders  should  perish. 

"  '  Still  shine,  O  Sun  !  among  the  deathless  gods 
And  mortal  men,  upon  the  nourishing  earth. 
Soon  will  I  cleave,  with  a  white  thunderbolt, 
Their  galley  in  the  midst  of  the  black  sea  ! '  " 

HOMER   (Bryant's  tr.). 

This  promise  he  immediately  fulfilled  by  drowning  all  except 
Ulysses,  who  alone  had  not  partaken  of  the  sacred  flesh,  and 
who,  after  clinging  to  the  rudder  for  nine  long  days,  a  plaything 
for  the  wind  and  waves,  was  washed  ashore  on  the  Island  of 
Ogygia,  where  the  fair  sea  nymph  Calypso  had  taken  up  her 
abode. 

There  he  was  kindly  and  most  hospitably  entertained  during 

eight  long  years ;  but  he  could  not  depart,  as  he  had  no  vessel  or 

Ulysses  and     crew  to  bear  him  away.    At  last  Minerva,  who  had 

Calypso.  always  befriended  him,  prevailed  upon  Jupiter  to 
allow  him  to  return  to  Ithaca.  Mercury  was  sent  to  Ogygia  to  bid 
Calypso  furnish  all  things  necessary  for  his  comfort,  and  aid  in 
the  construction  of  a  huge  raft,  whereon  our  hero  found  him- 
self afloat  after  many  years  of  reluctant  lingering  on  the  land. 

All  seemed  well  now ;  but  Neptune  suddenly  became  aware 
that  his  old  enemy,  the  torturer  of  Polyphemus,  was  about  to 
escape  from  his  clutches.  With  one  blow  of  his  trident  he  stirred 


ADVENTURES   OF   ULYSSES.  355 

up  one  of  those  sudden  tempests  whose  fury  nothing  can  with- 
stand, shattered  Ulysses"  raft,  and  buffeted  him  about  on  the 
waves,  until  the  goddess  Leucothea  (p.  174),  seeing  his  distress, 
helped  him  to  reach  the  Phaeacian  shore. 

Too  weary  to  think  of  aught  but  rest,  Ulysses  dragged  himself 
into  a  neighboring  wood,  where  he  fell  asleep  on  a  bed  of  dry 
leaves.  While  he  was  thus  resting,  Minerva  visited  Nausicaa  and 
Nausicaa,  daughter  of  Alcinous,  King  of  the  Phaea-  uiysses. 
cians,  in  a  dream,  and  bade  her  go  down  to  the  shore  and  wash 
her  linen  robes  in  readiness  for  her  wedding  day,  which  the  god- 
dess assured  her  was  near  at  hand.  Nausicaa  obeyed,  and 
drove  with  her  maidens  down  to  the  shore,  where,  after  their 
labors  were  duly  finished,  they  all  indulged  in  a  game  of  ball, 
with  the  usual  accompaniment  of  shrill  cries  and  much  laughter. 
Their  cries  awoke  Ulysses,  who  came  on  the  scene  just  in  time 
to  save  their  ball  from  the  waves,  and  claimed  Nausicaa's  pro- 
tection for  a  shipwrecked  mariner. 

She  graciously  permitted  him  to  follow  her  to  her  father's  pal- 
ace, and  presented  him  to  Alcinous  and  Arete,  who  bade  him 
welcome,  and  invited  him  to  join  in  the  games  then  taking  place. 
He  did  so,  and  displayed  such  strength  and  skill  that  his  identity 
was  revealed.  Alcinous  then  promised  to  send  him  safely  home 
in  a  Phaeacian  bark,  which  reached  Ithaca  in  safety,  and  depos- 
ited Ulysses,  asleep,  on  his  native  shore. 

When  Neptune  discovered  that  the  Phaeacians  had  outwitted 
him,  he  was  so  angry  that  he  changed  the  return-     The  petrified 
ing  vessel  into  a  rock,  which  blocked  the  harbor  shlp- 

and  put  an  end    to  further  maritime  excursions  on  their  part. 

"  He  drew  near 

And  smote  it  with  his  open  palm,  and  made 
The  ship  a  rock,  fast  rooted  in  the  bed 
Of  the  deep  sea." 

HOMER  (Bryant's  tr). 

Disguised  as  a  beggar  by  Minerva's  kindly  care,  Ulysses  sought 
the  lowly  dwelling  of  Eumaeus,  his  swineherd,  and  from  him 


(356) 


PENELOPE. 
(  Vatican,  Rome.) 


ADVENTURES  OF  ULYSSES.  357 

learned  all  he  wished  to  know  about  his  wife  and  son.  He  heard 
that  Penelope  was  fairly  besieged  with  suitors,  who  were  even 
now  feasting  and  reveling  in  his  palace,  whence  uiysses-  return 
they  refused  to  depart  until  she  had  made  choice  to  Ithaca- 
of  a  second  husband ;  and  also  that  Telemachus,  now  a  young 
man,  indignant  and  displeased  with  the  suitors'  conduct,  and 
guided  and  accompanied  by  his  tutor  Mentor,  had  set  out  in 
search  of  the  father  whom  he  could  not  believe  dead. 

Mentor  was  Minerva  in  disguise,  who  guided  the  young  man 
to  the  courts  of  Nestor  and  Menelaus,  and  finally  in  a  dream 
bade  him  return  to  Ithaca,  where  he  would  find  the  parent  he 
sought.  The  young  prince  immediately  obeyed,  and  landed  near 
Eumaeus'  hut,  escaping  a  clever  ambuscade  posted  by  the  suitors 
at  the  entrance  of  the  port. 

Minerva  now  permitted  the  father  and  son  to  recognize  each 
other,  in  spite  of  their  twenty  years'  separation,  and  together  they 
planned  how  best  to  punish  the  insolent  suitors.  They  finally 
agreed  that  Telemachus  should  return  to  the  palace  and  make  no 
mention  of  his  father's  return ;  while  Ulysses,  still  in  the  guise  of 
a  beggar,  should  enter  his  home  and  claim  the  usual  hospitality. 

All  was  executed  as  they  had  planned.  No  one  recognized 
the  long-expected  hero  in  the  miserable  old  beggar  —  no  one  save 
his  aged  nurse  Euryclea,  and  his  faithful  old  dog  Argus,  who 
died  for  joy  at  his  long-lost  master's  feet. 

"  While  over  Argus  the  black  night  of  death 
Came  suddenly  as  soon  as  he  had^en 
Ulysses,  absent  now  for  twenty  y^irs." 

HOMER  (Bryant's  tr. ). 

Penelope,  hearing  that  a  stranger  was  within  her  gates,  sent  for 
him,  to  inquire  whether  he  knew  aught  of  her  husband.    She  too 
failed  to  pierce  his  disguise,  and  languidly  contin-       pcneiope's 
ued  a  piece  of  work  which  she  cleverly  used  to 
baffle  her  suitors ;  for  once,  when  urged  to  marry,  she  had  replied 
that  she  would  do  so  as  soon  as  her  work  was  finished. 

23 


358  CLASSICAL  MYTHS. 

As  she  was  a  diligent  worker,  the  suitors  expected  soon  to  hear 
her  decision,  little  knowing  that  she  raveled  at  night  all  the  web 
so  carefully  woven  during  the  day. 

"  Three  full  years 

She  practiced  thus,  and  by  the  fraud  deceived 
The  Grecian  youths." 

HOMER  (Bryant's  tr.). 

At  last  the  subterfuge  was  discovered,  and  the  unfortunate 

Penelope  was  forced  to  finish  her  work;   but  ere  it  was  quite 

done,  she  found  another  expedient   to  postpone 

her  choice  of  a  husband.     She  brought  Ulysses' 

bow,  and  announced  that  she  would  marry  the  man  who  could 

bend  it  and  send  an  arrow  through  twelve  rings  which  she  pointed 

out. 

'"I  bring  to  you 

The  mighty  bow  that  great  Ulysses  bore. 
Whoe'er  among  you  he  may  be  whose  hand 
Shall  bend  this  bow,  and  send  through  these  twelve  rings 
An  arrow,  him  I  follow  hence,  and  leave 
This  beautiful  abode  of  my  young  years, 
With  all  its  plenty, —  though  its  memory, 
I  think,  will  haunt  me  even  in  my  dreams.' " 

HOMER  (Bryant's  tr. ). 

The  suitors  all  vainly  strove  to  bend  the  mighty  bow,  which 

was  then  seized  by   the   disguised   Ulysses,   while    the    youths 

Death  of  the      laughed  aloud   in  scorn,  until  Telemachus  bade 

suitors.         them  let  the  old  man  try  his  strength.     To  the 

amazement  of  all,  Ulysses  easily  performed  the  required  feat; 

and  then,  turning  his  aim  toward  Antinous,  the  handsomest  and 

most  treacherous  of  all  the  suitors,  he  pierced  his  heart. 

A  scene  of  wild  commotion  ensued,  in  which  Ulysses,  Telem- 
achus, Eumaeus,  and  Minerva  disguised  as  Mentor,  opposed 
and  slew  all  the  wooers.  Penelope,  unconscious  of  all  this 
bloodshed,  slept  in  her  room,  until  she  was  gently  awakened  by 
Euryclea,  who  announced  the  return  of  her  long-absent  husband. 


ADVENTURES  OF   ULYSSES.  359 

"  '  Awake,  Penelope,  dear  child,  and  see 
With  thine  own  eyes  what  thou  hast  pined  for  long. 
Ulysses  has  returned ;  thy  lord  is  here, 
Though  late,  and  he  has  slain  the  arrogant  crew 
Of  suitors,  who  disgraced  his  house,  and  made 
His  wealth  a  spoil,  and  dared  insult  his  son.'" 

HOMER  (Bryant's  tr.). 

But  Penelope  had  too  long  believed  her  husband  dead  to 
credit  this  marvelous  news ;  and  it  was  only  after  Ulysses  had 
given  her  an  infallible  proof  of  his  identity,  by  telling  her  a  secret 
which  was  shared  by  her  alone,  that  she  received  him. 

Ulysses  was  now  safe  at  home,  after  twenty  years  of  warfare 
and  adventure,  and  at  first  greatly  enjoyed  the  quiet  and  peace 
of  his  home  life ;  but  after  a  while  these  tame  joys     uiysses1  last 
grew  wearisome,   and   he    decided  to  renew  his        journey, 
wanderings.     He  therefore  prepared  a  fleet,  and  sailed  "out  into 
the  West,"  whence  he  never  returned.     The  Greeks,  however, 
averred  that  he  had  gone  in  search  of  the  Isles  of  the  Blest, 
where  he  dwelt  in  perfect  peace,  and  enjoyed  the  constant  so- 
ciety of  heroes  as  brave  and  renowned  as  himself. 

"  'Come,  my  friends, 
'Tis  not  too  late  to  seek  a  newer  world. 
Push  off,  and  sitting  well  in  order  smite 
The  sounding  furrows;  for  my  purpose  holds 
To  sail  beyond  the  sunset,  and  the  baths 
Of  all  the  western  stars,  until  I  die. 
It  may  be  that  the  gulfs  will  wash  us  down : 
It  may  be  we  shall  touch  the  Happy  Isles, 
And  see  the  great  Achilles,  whom  we  knew. 
Tho'  much  is  taken,  much  abides :  and  tho' 
We  are  not  now  that  strength  which  in  old  days 
Moved  earth  and  heaven ;  that  which  we  are,  we  are; 
One  equal  temper  of  heroic  hearts, 
Made  weak  by  time  and  fate,  but  strong  in  will 
To  strive,  to  seek,  to  find,  and  not  to  yield.'  " 

TF.NNVSON. 


CHAPTER    XXIX. 

ADVENTURES    OF    AENEAS. 

You  have  already  heard  how  the  Greeks  entered  the  city  of 
Troy  in  the  dead  of  night,  massacred  the  inhabitants,  and  set  fire 
to  the  beautiful  buildings  which  had  been  the  king's  pride  and 
delight.  Now  you  shall  hear  how  Virgil  relates  the  escape  of 
some  of  the  Trojans  from  general  destruction. 

Unconscious  of  coming  danger,  ^Eneas,  son  of  Venus  and 
Anchises,  lay  fast  asleep  in  his  palace ;  but  the  gods  had  not 
doomed  him  to  perish,  and  sent  the  shade  of  Hector  to  warn 
him  in  a  dream  to  arise,  leave  the  city,  and  fly  to  some  distant 

land. 

"  '  Ah,  goddess-born,'  he  warns  me,  '  fly  ! 
Escape  these  flames:   Greece  holds  the  walls; 
Proud  Ilium  from  her  summit  falls. 
Think  not  of  king's  or  country's  claims : 
Country  and  king,  alas !  are  names  : 
Could  Troy  be  saved  by  hands  of  men, 
This  hand  had  saved  her  then,  e'en  then. 
The  gods  of  her  domestic  shrines 
That  country  to  your  care  consigns : 
Receive  them  now,  to  share  your  fate : 
Provide  them  mansions  strong  and  great, 
The  city's  walls,  which  Heaven  has  willed 
Beyond  the  seas  you  yet  shall  build.' " 

VIRGIL  (Conington's  tr.). 

Awakened  at  last  by  the  ever-increasing  tumult  without, 
^neas  seized  his  arms  and  hastened  forth,  attended  by  many 
of  his  fellow-citizens,  to  ascertain  the  cause  of  the  great  uproar. 

360 


ADVENTURES   OF  sENEAS.  361 

A  few  minutes  later  he  discovered  that  the  Greek  army  had 
entered  the  town,  and  was  even  now  killing,  plundering,  and 
burning  without  mercy.  The  men  were  all  slain,  ^neas  goes  to 
but  the  fairest  women  were  dragged  away  to  be  save  Priam- 
sold  as  slaves  in  Greece ;  and  among  them  y£neas  beheld  in  the 
hands  of  Agamemnon's  soldiers  the  unfortunate  daughter  of 
Priam,  Cassandra,  whom  the  gods  had  endowed  with  prophetic 
powers  (p.  310),  but  whom  no  one  would  heed. 

^Eneas,  seeing  ere  long  that  there  was  no  hope  of  saving  the 
doomed  city,  quickly  disguised  himself  in  a  Greek  armor  which 
he  tore  from  the  corpse  of  one  of  his  foes,  and  rushed  on  to  the 
palace,  hoping  to  save  the  aged  king,  who,  at  the  first  alarm,  had 
seized  his  weapons,  determined  to  fight  to  the  very  last. 

Hecuba,  his  wife,  was  clinging  to  him,  imploring  him  to  re- 
main, when  suddenly  Polites,  their  son,  rushed  into  their  presence, 
closely  followed  by  Pyrrhus,  or  Neoptolemus,  son  of  Achilles, 
who  thrust  his  sword  into  the  youth,  and  then  murdered  Priam 
also. 

"  So  Priam's  fortunes  closed  at  last: 

So  passed  he,  seeing  as  he  passed 

His  Troy  in  flames,  his  royal  tower 

Laid  low  in  dust  by  hostile  power, 

Who  once  o'er  land  and  peoples  proud 

Sat,  while  before  him  Asia  bowed : 

Now  on  the  shore  behold  him  dead, 

A  nameless  trunk,  a  trunkless  head." 

VIRGIL  (Conington's  tr.). 

yEneas,  who  arrived  just  too  late  to  hinder  this  frightful  catas- 
trophe, now  suddenly  remembered  that  a  similar  fate  awaited  his 
aged  father  Anchises,  his  wife  Creusa,  and  little  son  lulus,  who 
were  at  home  without  any  protector  near  them.  The  hero  there- 
fore madly  cut  his  way  through  the  foe,  and  rushed  through  the 
once  magnificent  palace,  which  was  now  stripped  of  its  rarest 
treasures  and  desecrated  by  an  enemy's  tread. 

There,  in  one  of  the  abandoned  halls,  he  saw  Helen,  the  fair 


362  CLASSICAL    MYTHS. 

cause  of  all  this  war  and  bloodshed,  —  who,  after  Paris'  death,  had 
married  Deiphobus,  his  brother,  —  and  for  a  moment  he  deter- 
Venus  appears  mined  to  take  her  life ;  but  ere  he  could  do  so, 

to /Eneas.  Venus,  his  mother,  stayed  his  hand,  and  bade  him 
remember  that  the  immortal  gods  had  long  ago  decreed  that  the 
city  should  fall,  and  that  Helen  was  merely  the  pretext  used  to 
induce  the  rival  nations  to  fly  to  arms. 

Further  to  convince  him  of  the  truth  of  her  assertions,  she 
enabled  him  to  see  what  was  hidden  from  mortal  eyes:  i.e., 
Neptune,  Minerva,  Juno,  and  Jupiter  even,  fighting  and  level- 
ing the  walls  with  mighty  blows.  She  then  vehemently  implored 
her  son  to  leave  this  scene  of  carnage,  and  fly,  with  his  family  and 
followers,  to  some  safe  place  without  the  city,  whence  he  could 
embark,  and  sail  away  to  a  more  fortunate  land ;  and  her  entrea- 
ties finally  prevailed. 

.^Eneas  rushed  home  and  bade  his  father  prepare  to  leave  Troy  ; 
but  Anchises  obstinately  refused  to  leave  his  post,  until  he  saw 

Anchises'  a  bright  flame  hover  for  a  moment  above  his 
escape.  grandson's  head,  which  sign  he  interpreted  as  an 
omen  that  his  race  should  endure.  He  no  longer  resisted ;  and, 
as  he  was  too  weak  to  walk,  ./Eneas  bade  him  hold  the  Lares 
and  Penates,  and,  taking  him  on  his  back,  carried  him  off,  while 
with  one  hand  he  led  his  little  son,  and  bade  Creusa  closely  fol- 
low him. 

"  '  Come,  mount  my  shoulders,  dear  my  sire : 
Such  load  my  strength  shall  never  tire. 
Now,  whether  fortune  smiles  or  lowers, 
One  risk,  one  safety  shall  be  ours. 
My  son  shall  journey  at  my  side, 
My  wife  her  steps  by  mine  shall  guide, 
At  distance  safe.' " 

VIRGIL  (Conington's  tr.). 

A  trysting  place  near  a  ruined  temple  had  already  been  ap- 
pointed for  his  servants,  and  thither  ^neas  turned  his  steps. 
When  he  arrived  there,  he  found  many  awaiting  him,  and  counted 


ADl'EXTL'RES   OF  sENEAS.  363 

them  carefully  to  make  sure  none  were  missing.  All  were  there 
except  Creusa,  his  beloved  young  wife ;  and  he  retraced  his  steps 
with  anxious  haste,  hoping  to  find  her  still  alive.  creusa's 
But  on  the  threshold  of  his  once  happy  home  ghost, 
he  met  her  disembodied  spirit,  and  heard  her  bid  him  seek  the 
banks  of  the  Tiber,  where  a  beautiful  young  bride  would  com- 
fort him  for  her  loss.  This  speech  ended,  Creusa's  ghost  van- 
ished, and  vEneas  sadly  returned  to  the  ruined  temple,  where  he 
found  many  fugitives  ready  to  follow  him  wherever  he  went, 
and  eager  to  obey  his  every  command.  Their  preparations  for 
departure  were  speedily  completed,  the  sails  unfurled,  and  tile 
little  exiled  band  soon  lost  sight  of  the  shores  of  Troy. 

"  Weeping  I  quit  the  port,  the  shore, 
The  plains  where  Ilium  stood  before, 
And  homeless  launch  upon  the  main, 
Son,  friends,  and  home  gods  in  my  train." 

VIRGIL  (Conington's  tr.). 

Although  they  had  escaped  from  burning  Troy  and  the  swords 
of  the  Greeks,  their  trials  had  only  just  begun.    After  many  days' 
sailing,  they  landed  in  Thrace,  viewed  the  country,        Arrival  in 
decided  to  settle  there,  and  began  to  trace  the 
foundations  of  a  new  city,  which  they  decided  to  call  the  ^Eneadae, 
in  honor  of  their  leader. 

Their  next  care  was  to  offer  a  sacrifice  to  the  gods ;  but  when 
^Eneas,  with  due  ceremony,  cut  down  a  sapling,  he  was  startled 
to  see  blood  flow  from  its  severed  stem.  At  the  same  time  a 
mysterious  voice  was  heard,  bidding  him  forbear,  for  his  former 
friend  Polydorus,  sent  to  Thrace  to  conceal  some  treasures,  had 
been  murdered  there  by  an  avaricious  king,  and  this  grove  of 
trees  had  sprouted  from  the  spear  handles  driven  into  his  un- 
happy breast. 

After  paying  the  customary  funeral  rites  to  appease  the  soul 
of  his  unfortunate  friend,  yEneas  easily  prevailed       Dei08  and 
upon  his  followers  to  leave  these  inhospitable  shores 
and  seek  another  resting  place.     They  rowed  over  the  briny 


364  CLASSICAL  MYTHS. 

deep  until  they  came  to  Delos,  where  they  stopped  to  consult 
the  oracle,  who  bade  them  seek  the  cradle  of  their  race,  and  set- 
tle there. 

"  '  Stout  Dardan  hearts,  the  realm  of  earth 

Where  first  your  nation  sprang  to  birth, 

That  realm  shall  now  receive  you  back  : 

Go,  seek  your  ancient  mother's  track. 

There  shall  Eneas'  house,  renewed 

For  ages,  rule  a  world  subdued.'  " 

VIRGIL  (Conington's  tr.). 

This  obscure  command  left  them  uncertain  what  course  to 
pursue,  until  the  aged  Anchises  remembered  that  one  of  his  an- 
cestors, Teucer,  had  once  reigned  in  Crete.  Thither  they  sailed, 
and  hoped  to  settle ;  but  a  terrible  pestilence  came  upon  them, 
and  decimated  their  already  sparse  ranks. 

One  night  JEneas  had  a  vision,  in  which  his  household  gods 

bade  him  seek  the  Italian  or  Hesperian  shores ;   and  when,  on 

.Eneas'         waking,  he  imparted  this  advice  to  Anchises,  the 

vision.          latter  remembered  a  long-forgotten  prophecy  of 

Cassandra,  purporting  that  they  would  settle  there,  and  also  that 

Dardanus,  their  first  progenitor,  was  reported  to  have  come  from 

thence. 

"There  is  a  land,  by  Greece  of  old 
Surnamed  Hesperia,  rich  its  mold, 

Its  children  brave  and  free : 
CEnotrians  were  its  settlers :  fame 
Now  gives  the  race  its  leader's  name, 

And  calls  it  Italy. 

Here  Dardanus  was  born,  our  king, 
f       And  old  lasius,  whence  we  spring: 
Here  our  authentic  seat." 

VIRGIL  (Conington's  tr.). 

Ere  many  days  ^Eneas  and  his  trusty  followers  were  once 
more  afloat,  and  forced  to  battle  with  fierce  storms  sent  by  Juno 
to  hinder  their  advance.  Exhausted,  they  landed  on  the  Stro- 
phades  Islands,  where  they  proposed  to  recruit  their  strength  by 


ADVEXTL'RES   OF  sENEAS.  365 

a  hearty  meal ;  but  no  sooner  was  their  table  spread,  than  the 
meats  were  devoured  and  destroyed  by  the  loathsome  Harpies. 
A  terrible  prophecy  uttered  by  Celaeno,  one  of  ceixno 
these  monsters,  —  half  woman  and  half  bird,  —  the  Harpy- 
made  them  embark  again  in  great  haste,  and  row  on  until  they 
came  to  Epirus,  where  they  again  effected  a  landing.  In  this 
country  they  met  the  sorrowing  Andromache,  Hector's  widow, 
the  slave  of  King  Helenus,  who  entertained  them  royally  and 
sent  them  on  their  way  again,  with  many  kindly  cautions  to  beware 
of  the  Cyclopes  and  avoid  Charybdis  and  Scylla  by  circumnavi- 
gating the  whole  island  of  Sicily. 

This  advice  was  duly  followed  by  ./Eneas,  who,  while  rounding 
one  of  the  promontories  of  the  island,  saw  and  rescued  Achemen- 
ides,  one  of  Ulysses'  companions,  accidentally  left        Rescue  of 
behind  when  they  escaped  from  the  rage  of  Poly-    Achememdes. 
phemus,  the  Cyclops.     This  giant  now  came  down  to  the  shore, 
and  was  regarded  with  unconcealed  horror  by  the  Trojans,  who 
rowed  away  in  haste.     Soon  after,  ^Eneas  moored  his  ships  in  the 
harbors  of  Sicania  and  Drepanum,  and  while  there  lost  his  aged 
father  Anchises. 

"  There 

I  lose  my  stay  in  every  care, 
My  sire  Anchises  !  " 

VIRGIL  (Conington's  tr.)- 

Juno,  in  the  mean  while,  had  not  been  idle,  and  gloated  over 
the  dangers  she  had  forced  the  unhappy  Trojans  to  encounter 
during  the  seven  years  which  had  already  elapsed  since  they  first 
sailed  from  Troy.  She  was  not  yet  weary  of  persecuting  them, 
however ;  and  as  soon  as  she  saw  them  once  more  afloat,  she 
hurried  off  to  ^Eolus,  and  bade  him  let  loose  his  fiercest  children, 
and  scatter  the  fleet  by  a  terrible  storm. 

"  '  O  /Eolus  !  since  the  Sire  of  all 
Has  made  the  wind  obey  thy  call 

To  raise  or  lay  the  foam, 
A  race  I  hate  now  plows  the  sea, 


366  CLASSICAL  MYTHS. 

Transporting  Troy  to  Italy 

And  home  gods  reft  of  home  : 
Lash  thou  thy  winds,  their  ships  submerge, 
Or  toss  them  weltering  o'er  the  surge.1 " 

VIRGIL  (Conington's  tr.). 

This  request  was  immediately  granted.     The  vessels,  tossed 

hither  and  thither,  lost  sight  of  each  other.     Some  were  stranded, 

The  some   sank,  and  still  the  tempest  raged  on  with 

tempest.  unabated  fury,  and  death  stared  the  unhappy  Tro- 
jans in  the  face.  The  commotion  on  the  deep  finally  aroused 
Neptune,  who  came  to  the  surface  just  in  time  to  see  all  the 
misfortunes  which  had  overwhelmed  ^Eneas.  He  imperiously 
sent  the  winds  away,  and  lent  a  helping  hand  to  float  the  stranded 
ships  once  more. 

"  '  Back  to  your  master  instant  flee, 
And  tell  him,  not  to  him  but  me 
The  imperial  trident  of  the  sea 
Fell  by  the  lot's  award.'  " 

VIRGIL  (Conington's  tr.). 

The  Trojans,  grateful  for  his  timely  aid,  and  reassured  by  the 
calm  which  now  reigned  supreme,  steered  for  the  nearest  port, 
where  they  anchored  their  seven  vessels,  all  that  now  remained 
of  their  once  large  fleet. 

^Eneas  and  Achates,  his  faithful  friend,  immediately  set  out  to 
view  the  land,  and  ere  long  encountered  Venus,  disguised  as  a 

Arrival  in  mortal,  who  informed  them  that  they  had  landed 
Libya.  »  UpOn  tne  Libyan  coast,  which  was  under  the  sway 
of  Dido,  a  fugitive  from  Tyre.  Dido's  husband,  Sychaeus,  King 
of  Tyre,  the  possessor  of  untold  riches,  had  been  murdered  by 
Pygmalion,  his  brother-in-law ;  but  the  queen  was  kept  in  com- 
plete ignorance  of  this  crime,  until  visited  in  a  dream  by  the  shade 
of  Sychaeus,  which  bade  her  fly  with  his  treasures,  whose  place  of 
concealment  she  alone  knew. 

Dido  obeyed  the  ghost's  commands,  and,  accompanied  by  a 
number  of  faithful  subjects,  landed  on  the  Libyan  coast,  where 


ADVENTURES  OF  sENEAS.  367 

she  entreated  the  inhabitants  to  sell  her  as  much  land  as  an  ox- 
hide would  inclose.  This  seemingly  modest  request  was  im- 
mediately granted ;  but  the  Libyans  regretted  their  compliance 
when  they  saw  the  ox-hide  cut  up  into  tiny  strips,  which  inclosed 
a  considerable  tract  of  land,  the  site  of  Dido's  beautiful  capital, 
Carthage. 

Thither  Venus  advised  her  son   to  proceed  and  claim   the 
queen's  protection.     ^Eneas  and  Achates  obediently  hastened 
onward,  and  entered  the  town  unseen,  for  Venus      ^neas  and 
had  enveloped  them  both  in  a  mist.     Their  atten-          Dido< 
tion  was  first  attracted  by  the  festive  appearance  of  the  people 
assembled  together,  and  by  the  beauty  of  the  queen,  giving  audi- 
ence to  some  of  their  companions,  who  had  miraculously  escaped 
from  the  waves. 

These  men  spoke  to  the  queen  of  their  renowned  chief,  whose 
fame  had  already  reached  her  ear ;  and  she  gladly  promised  to 
send  out  a  search  party  to  discover  him,  and  aid  him  if  necessary. 

"  '  I  will  send 

And  search  the  coast  from  end  to  end, 
If  haply,  wandering  up  and  down, 
He  bide  in  woodland  or  in  town.'  " 

VIRGIL  (Conington's  tr.). 


At  these  gracious  words,  ^Eneas  stepped  forward,  the  mist  van- 
ished, and  he  stood  before  the  queen  in  all  his  manly  beauty. 

Dido  then  led  her  guests  to  the  banquet  hall,  where  they  re- 
counted their  adventures  by  land  and  sea,  while  partaking  of  the 
viands  and  wines  set  before  them.  At  this  feast,  Cupid,  at 
Venus'  request,  assumed  the  face  and  form  of  lulus,  ^Eneas' 
young  son,  and,  reclining  on  the  queen's  bosom,  secretly  thrust 
one  of  his  darts  into  her  heart,  and  made  her  fall  in  love  with 
^Eneas. 

Day  after  day  now  passed  in  revelry  and  pleasure,  and  still 
JEneas  lingered  by  Dido's  side,  forgetful  of  the  new  kingdom 
he  was  destined  to  found.  One  whole  year  passed  thus ;  and  the 


(368) 


ADVENTURES  OF  AENEAS.  369 


gods,  impatient  of  delay,  finally  sent  Mercury  to  remind 
of  his  duty. 

To  avoid  Dido's  tears  and  recriminations,  the  hero  kept  his 
preparations  for  departure  a  complete  secret,  and  finally  set  sail 
while  she  was  wrapt  in  slumber.  U'hen  she  awoke  and  looked 
out  of  her  palace  window,  it  was  only  to  see  the  last  vessel  sink 
beneath  the  horizon. 

Concealing  her  grief,  and  pretending  an  anger  she  did  not  feel, 
she  bade  her  servants  make  a  funeral  pyre,  and  place  upon  it  all 
the  objects  /Eneas  had  used  during  his  sojourn  in        Death  of 
her  palace  ;   then,  on  tap  of  it  all,  she  set  an  effigy          Dldo- 
of  her  false  lover,  set  fire  to  the  pyre,  sprang  into  the  midst  of 
the  flames,  and  there  stabbed  herself. 

"  '  Yet  let  me  die:  thus,  thus  I  go 
Exulting  to  the  shades  below. 
Let  the  false  Dardan  feel  the  blaze 
That  burns  me  pouring  on  his  gaze, 
And  bear  along,  to  cheer  his  way, 
The  funeral  presage  of  to-day.'" 

VIRGIL  (Conington's  tr.). 

From  the  mast  of  his  vessel  ^neas  saw  the  rising  column  of 
smoke,  and  his  heart  sank  within  him  ;  for  he  suspected  its  fatal 
import,  and  honestly  mourned  the  death  of  the  beautiful  queen. 

The  Trojans  sailed  onward  until  the  threatening  clouds  made 
them  take  refuge  in  the  Sicanian  port,  where  they  celebrated  the 
usual  games  to  commemorate  Anchises'  death,  Funeral 
which  had  occurred  there  just  one  year  previous.  games. 
While  the  men  were  engaged  in  the  customary  naval,  foot,  and 
horse  races,  boxing,  wrestling,  and  archery  matches,  the  women 
gathered  together,  and,  instigated  by  Juno,  began  to  bewail  the 
hard  lot  which  compelled  them  to  encounter  again  the  perils  of 
the  sea.  Their  discontent  ultimately  reached  such  a  pitch  that 
they  set  fire  to  the  vessels.  When  yEneas  heard  of  this  new 
misfortune,  he  rushed  down  to  the  shore,  tore  his  costly  festal 


370  CLASSICAL   MYTHS. 

garments,  and  cried  to  Heaven  for  assistance  in  this  his  time  of 
direst  need. 

" '  Dread  Sire,  if  Ilium's  lorn  estate 
Deserve  not  yet  thine  utter  hate, 
If  still  thine  ancient  faithfulness 
Give  heed  to  mortals  in  distress, 
Oh,  let  the  fleet  escape  the  flame  ! 
Oh,  save  from  death  Troy's  dying  name  !  '  ' 

VIRGIL  (Conington's  tr.). 

This  prayer  was  instantly  answered  by  a  sudden  severe  shower, 

which  quenched  the  devouring  flames.     Soon  after  this  miracle, 

Apparition  of     Anchises  appeared  to  ^Eneas,  and  bade  him  leave 

Anchises.       j-ne  women,  children,  and  aged  men  in  Sicily,  and 

travel  on  to  Cumse,  where  he  was  to  consult  the  Sibyl,  visit  the 

Infernal  Regions,  and  there  receive  further  advice  from  him. 

"  First  seek  the  halls  of  Dis  below, 
Pass  deep  Avernus'  vale,  and  meet 
Your  father  in  his  own  retreat." 

VIRGIL  (Conington's  tr.). 

^Eneas  again  dutifully  obeyed ;  but  when  Venus  saw  him  afloat 
once  more,  she  hastened  to  Neptune,  and  bade  him  watch  over 
her  unfortunate  son.  Neptune  listened  very  graciously  to  her 
appeal,  and  promised  to  take  but  one  of  all  the  many  lives  in- 
trusted to  his  care.  That  one  was  ^Eneas'  pilot,  Palinurus,  who, 
falling  asleep  at  the  helm,  fell  overboard  and  was  drowned. 

As  for  the  fleet,  it  reached  the  Cumsean  shore  in  safety ;   and 

^Eneas  hastened  off  to  the  Sibyl's  cave,  made  known  his  wish 

The  Cumjean     to  visit  Hades,  and  entreated  her  to  serve  as  his 

Sibyl.          guide   in  that  perilous   journey.      She  consented, 

but  at  the  same  time  informed  him  that  he  must  first  obtain  a 

golden  twig,  which  grew  in  a  dark  forest. 

"None  may  reach  the  shades  without 
The  passport  of  that  golden  sprout." 

VIRGIL  (Conington's  tr.). 


CUM^EAN   SIBYL.— Domenichino. 
(  Borghese  Gallery,  Rome.) 


(37i) 


37 2  CLASSICAL   MYTHS. 

Almost  despairing,  y£neas  now  prayed  for  assistance  ;  for  how 
could  he  find  a  tiny  golden  sprig  in  the  midst  of  the  dense  forest 
foliage  without  the  gods'  aid?  In  answer  to  this  appeal,  Venus, 
ever  mindful  of  her  son,  sent  two  of  her  snowy  doves  to  lead 
the  way  and  alight  on  the  tree,  where  ^Eneas  readily  found  the 
object  of  his  search. 

Armed  with  this  branch  as  key,  he  and  the  Sibyl  boldly  en- 
tered the  Lower  Regions,  where  all  the  ghastly  sights  and 
sounds  we  have  already  described  (p.  167)  met  them  on  every  side. 
Charon  quickly  ferried  them  over  the  Acheron,  on  whose  bank 
they  saw  the  wandering  shade  of  Palinurus,  who  had  no  obolus 
to  pay  his  way  across,  and  that  of  Dido,  with  a  gaping  wound 
in  her  breast. 

They  did  not  pause,  however,  until  they  reached  the  Elysian 
Fields,  where  they  found  Anchises,  gravely  considering  among 
the  unborn  souls  those  who  were  destined  to  animate  his  race 
and  make  it  illustrious  in  the  future.  These  he  carefully  pointed 
out  to  ^Eneas,  foretelling  their  future  achievements,  and  called 
by  name  Romulus,  Brutus,  Camillus,  the  Gracchi,  Caesar,  —  in 
fact,  all  the  heroes  of  Roman  history. 

"Anchises  showed  Ericas,  in  long  line, 
The  illustrious  shades  of  those  who  were  to  shine 
One  day  the  glory  of  the  Italian  shore." 

TOM  AS  DE  IRIARTE. 

After  a  prolonged  conversation  with  his  father,  vEneas  returned 
to  his  companions,  and  led  them  to  the  mouth  of  the  Tiber,  whose 

Arrival  in  course  they  followed  until  they  reached  Latium, 
Latmm.  where  their  wanderings  were  to  cease.  Latinus, 
king  of  the  country,  received  them  hospitably,  and  promised  the 
hand  of  his  daughter  Lavinia  in  marriage  to  ^Eneas. 

Lavinia  was  very  beautiful,  and  had  already  had  many  suitors, 
among  whom  Turnus,  a  neighboring  prince,  boasted  of  the  most 
exalted  rank.  The  queen,  Amata,  specially  favored  this  youth's 
suit ;  and  the  king  would  gladly  have  received  him  for  a  son-in- 


ADl'ENTL'RES   OF  sENEAS.  373 

law,  had  he  not  twice  been  warned  by  the  gods  to  reserve  his 
daughter  for  a  foreign  prince,  who  had  now  appeared. 

In  spite  of  all  the  years  which  had  elapsed  since  Paris  scorned 
her  attractions  and  bribes  (p.  307),  Juno  had  not  yet  forgotten  her 
hatred  of  the  Trojan  race,  and,  afraid  lest  her  enemy's  course 
should  now  prove  too  smooth,  she  sent  Alecto,  the  Fury,  down  upon 
earth  to  stir  up  war,  and  goad  Amata  to  madness.  The  Fury 
executed  both  commands,  and  Amata  fled  to  the  woods,  where 
she  concealed  her  daughter  Lavinia,  to  keep  her  safe  for  Turnus, 
whom  she  preferred  to  ^neas. 

As  lulus  and  some  companions  had  unfortunately  wounded 
the  pet  stag  of  Silvia,  daughter  of  the  head  shepherd,  a  brawl 
ensued,  which,  fomented  by  Alecto,  soon  developed  War  with  the 
into  a  bloody  war.  Hostilities  having  thus  begun, 
Turnus,  with  the  various  Latin  chiefs,  immediately  besought  La- 
tinus  to  open  the  gates  of  Janus'  temple.  He  refused  ;  but  Juno, 
afraid  lest  even  now  her  plans  might  be  set  at  naught,  came 
down  from  Olympus,  and  with  her  own  hand  flung  wide  the 
brazen  doors.  This  unexpected  apparition  kindled  a  general 
ardor ;  new  troops  enlisted ;  and  even  Camilla,  the  Volscian 
warrior-maiden,  came  to  proffer  her  aid  to  Turnus. 

"  Last  marches  forth  for  Latium's  sake 

Camilla  fair,  the  Volscian  maid, 
A  troop  of  horsemen  in  her  wake 

In  pomp  of  gleaming  steel  arrayed; 
Stern  warrior  queen  ! " 

VIRGIL  (Conington's  tr). 

When  but  a  babe  in  arms,  Camilla  had  been  carried  off  by  her 
father,  as  he  fled  before  the  Volscian  troops.     When  he  came 
to  the  Amasenus  River,  he  found  his  pursuers  close         story  of 
at  his  heels.    Tying  his  infant  daughter  to  his  spear, 
he  hurled  her  to  the  opposite  bank,  which,  thanks  to  Diana's 
aid,  she  reached  unharmed,  while  her  father  plunged  into  the 
waves  to  join  her.     In  his  gratitude  to  find  her  safe,  he  dedi- 

24 


374  CLASSICAL   MYTHS. 

cated  her  to  Diana,  who  trained  her  to  love  the  chase  and  all 
manly  pursuits. 

Surprised  to  see  Latinus'  friendly  offers  of  hospitality  so  sud- 
denly withdrawn,  ^neas  made  rapid  preparations  for  war,  and 
sailed  farther  up  the  Tiber  to  secure  the  aid  of  Evander,  king 
of  the  Tuscans,  the  hereditary  foe  of  the  Latins.  This  monarch, 
too  old  to  lead  his  troops  in  person,  nevertheless  promised  his 
aid,  and  sent  his  beloved  son  Pallas  in  his  stead  to  command  the 
troops  he  supplied. 

Juno,  still  implacable,  had  in  the  mean  while  sent  Iris  to  apprise 
Turnus  of  ^Eneas'  departure,  and  to  urge  him  to  set  fire  to  the 

Nisus  and       remainder  of  the  fleet, — a  suggestion  which  Turnus 

Euryaius.  joyfully  obeyed.  The  Trojans,  headed  by  young 
lulus,  ^Eneas'  son,  defended  themselves  with  their  usual  courage  ; 
but,  seeing  the  enemy  would  soon  overpower  them,  they  dis- 
patched Nisus  and  Euryaius,  two  of  their  number,  to  warn  yEneas 
of  their  danger,  and  entreat  him  to  hasten  up  with  his  reenforce- 
ments.  These  unfortunate  youths  passed  through  the  camp  un- 
seen, but  farther  on  fell  into  the  hands  of  a  troop  of  Volscian 
horsemen,  who  cruelly  put  them  to  death,  and  then  hurried 
with  the  Rutules  to  lend  assistance  to  Turnus.  Next  some  of 
the  Trojan  vessels  were  fired  by  the  enemy ;  but,  instead  of 
being  consumed  by  the  flames,  they  were  changed  into  water 
nymphs  by  the  intervention  of  the  gods,  and,  sailing  down  the 
Tiber,  met  ^Eneas,  and  warned  him  to  hasten  to  his  son's  rescue. 

"  His  vessels  change  their  guise, 
And  each  and  all  as  Nereids  rise." 

VIRGIL. 

In  the  mean  while,  Venus,  who  befriended  the  Trojans,  had 

sought  Vulcan's  detested  abode,  and  had  prevailed  upon  him  to 

The  forge  a  beautiful  armor  for  ^Eneas.     On  the  shield, 

armor.          which  is  minutely  described  in  one  of  the  books  of 

Virgil's  celebrated  epic  poem,  the  ^Eneid,  were  depicted  many 

of  the  stirring  scenes  in  the  lives  of  the  future  descendants  of 


.•//;r/;.v7T/i'£\v  OF  .E.YE.IS.  375 

.-Eneas,  the  heroes  of  Roman  history.  As  soon  as  this  armor  was 
completed,  Venus  brought  it  to  her  son,  who  donned  it  with  vis- 
ible pleasure,  and,  encouraged  by  his  mother's  words,  prepared 
to  meet  the  Latins  and  hold  his  own. 

Venus  and  Juno  were  not  the  only  deities  interested  in  the 
coming  struggle  ;  for  all  the  gods,  having  watched  ^Eneas'  career, 
were  anxious  about  his  fate.  Seeing  this,  and  fearful  lest  their 
interference  should  still  further  endanger  the  hero  whom  he 
favored,  Jupiter  assembled  the  gods  on  high  Olympus,  and 
sternly  forbade  their  taking  any  active  part  in  the  coming  strife, 
under  penalty  of  his  severe  displeasure. 

JEneas  and  his  Tuscan  allies  arrived  on  the  battle  scene  just 
in  time  to  give  the  necessary  support  to  the  almost  exhausted 
Trojans ;  and  now  the  fight  raged  more  fiercely  ^Eneas' 
than  ever,  and  prodigies  of  valor  were  accom-  arrival, 
plished  on  both  sides,  until  finally  young  Pallas  fell,  slain  by 
Turnus.  When  aware  of  the  death  of  this  promising  young 
prince,  Eneas'  heart  was  filled  with  grief,  for  he  could  imagine 
the  sorrow  of  the  aged  Evander  when  he  saw  his  son's  corpse 
brought  home  for  burial;  and  he  then  and  there  registered  a 
solemn  vow  to  avenge  Pallas'  death  by  slaying  Turnus,  and  im- 
mediately hastened  forth  to  keep  his  word. 

In  the  mean  while,  Juno,  suspecting  what  his  purpose  would 
be,  and  afraid  to  allow  Turnus  to  encounter  such  a  formidable 
antagonist  as  ^Eneas,  had  determined  to  lure  her  juno's 
favorite  away  from  the  field.  To  compass  this,  treachery, 
she  assumed  the  form  of  ^Eneas,  challenged  Turnus,  and,  as  soon 
as  he  began  the  fight,  fled  toward  the  river,  and  took  refuge  on 
one  of  the  vessels,  closely  pursued  by  him.  No  sooner  did  she 
see  the  Rutule  chief  safe  on  board,  than  she  loosed  the  vt-»d 
from  its  moorings,  and  allowed  it  to  drift  down  the  stream,  bear- 
ing Turnus  away  from  the  scene  of  battle.  Aware  now  of  the 
delusion  practiced,  Turnus  raved,  and  accused  the  gods,  and 
then  eagerly  watched  for  an  opportunity  to  land,  and  make  his 
way,  alone  and  on  foot,  back  to  the  scene  of  conflict. 


376  CLASSICAL  MYTHS. 

During  Turnus'  involuntary  absence,  ^Eneas  had  ranged  all  over 
the  battlefield  in  search  of  him,  and  had  encountered  and  slain 
^Eneas'  many  warriors,  among  others  Lausus  and  his  aged 
prowess.  father  Mezentius,  two  allies  of  Latinus,  who  had 
specially  distinguished  themselves  by  their  great  valor.  The 
dead  and  dying  covered  the  field,  when  Latinus,  weary  of  blood- 
shed, summoned  a  council,  and  again  vainly  tried  to  make  peace. 
But  his  efforts  were  of  no  avail.  The  war  was  renewed  more 
fiercely  than  ever ;  and  in  the  next  encounter,  Camilla,  the  brave 
Volscian  maiden,  fell  at  last,  breathing  a  fervent  entreaty  that 
Turnus  should  hasten  to  the  succor  of  his  despairing  people  if  he 
would  not  see  them  all  slain  and  the  town  in  the  hands  of  the 

Trojans. 

"  'Go :  my  last  charge  to  Turnus  tell, 
To  haste  with  succor,  and  repel 
The  Trojans  from  the  town  —  farewell.'" 

VIRGIL  (Conington's  tr.). 

Shortly  after  her  death,  in  the  very  midst  of  the  fray,  ^Eneas 

suddenly  felt  himself  wounded  by  an  arrow  sent  by  some  mysteri- 

^Eneas'         ous  hand.     He  hastened  to  seek  the  aid  of  the 

wound.         leech  lapis ;  but,  in  spite  of  his  ministrations,  the 

barb  could  not  be  removed  nor  the  wound  dressed,  until  Venus 

brought  a  magic  herb,   which  instantly  healed  the  hero,   and 

enabled  him  to  return  to  the  fight  with  unabated  strength  and 

energy. 

The  tide  was  now  decidedly  turning  in  favor  of  the  Trojans ; 
for  Amata,  the  Latin  queen,  sorry  for  her  ill-advised  opposition 
to  her  daughter's  marriage  with  ^Lneas,  brought  Lavinia  home 
and  hung  herself  in  a  fit  of  remorse. 

yEneas,  appearing  once  more  on  the  battlefield,  finally  en- 
countered the  long-sought  Turnus,  who  had  made  his  way  back, 

Death  of        and  was  now  driving  about  in  his  chariot,  jealously 

Turnus.         guarded  by  his  sister  Juturna,  who,  the  better  to 

watch  over  his  safety,  had  taken  the  place  of  his  chariot  driver. 

The  two  heroes,  having  met,  instantly  closed  in  deadly  fight; 


ADVENTURES  OF  &NEAS.  377 

but,  in  spite  of  Turnus'  bravery,  he  was  finally  obliged  to  suc- 
cumb, and  sank  to  the  ground,  frankly  acknowledging  himself 
beaten  as  he  exhaled  his  last  sigh. 

"  '  Yours  is  the  victory :  Latian  bands 
Have  seen  me  stretch  imploring  hands: 
The  bride  Lavinia  is  your  own : 
Thus  far  let  foeman's  hate  be  shown.'  " 

VIKGIL  (Conington's  tr.). 

With  the  death  of  Turnus  the  war  came  to  an  end.     A  lasting 
peace  was  made  with  Latinus ;  and  the  brave  Trojan  hero,  whose 
woes  were  now  over,  was  united  in  marriage  with         ./Eneas' 
Lavinia.     In  concert  with  Latinus,  he  ruled  the        progeny. 
Latins,  and  founded  a  city,  which  he  called  Lavinia  in  honor 
of  his  bride,  and  which  became  for  a  time  the  capital  of  Latium. 

yEneas,  as  the  gods  had  predicted,  became  the  father  of  a 
son  named  yEneas  Silvia,  who  founded  Alba  Longa,  where  his 
descendants  reigned  for  many  a  year,  and  where  one  of  his  race, 
the  Vestal  Virgin  Ilia,  after  marrying  Mars,  gave  birth  to  Remus 
and  Romulus,  the  founders  of  Rome  (p.  142). 


CHAPTER    XXX. 

ANALYSIS     OF      MYTHS. 

"I  shall  indeed  interpret  all  that  I  can,  but  I  cannot  interpret  all  that  I 
should  like."  —  Grimm. 

IN  attempting  an  analysis  of  the  foregoing  myths,  and  an  ex- 
planation of  their  origin,  it  is  impossible,  in  a  work  of  this  kind, 
Early          to   do  more  than  give  a  very  superficial  idea  of 

theories.        ^g  scientific  theories  of  various  eminent  mythol- 
ogists,  who,  on  this  subject,  like  doctors,  are  sure  to  disagree. 

These  myths,  comprising  "  the  entire  intellectual  stock  of  the  , 
age  to  which  they  belonged,"  existed  as  "  floating  talk  among 
the  people  "  long  ere  they  passed  into  the  literature  of  the  nation  ; 
and  while  to  us  mythology  is  merely  "  an  affair  of  historical  or 
antiquarian  study,  we  must  remember  that  the  interpretation  of 
myths  was  once  a  thing  full  of  vital  interest  to  men  whose  moral 
and  religious  beliefs  were  deeply  concerned."  Received  at  first 
with  implicit  faith,  these  myths  became  a  stumbling  block  as 
civilization  advanced.  Cultured  man  recoiled  from  much  of  the 
grossness  which  had  appeared  quite  natural  to  his  ancestors  in  a 
savage  state,  and  made  an  attempt  to  find  out  their  primitive 
meaning,  or  an  explanation  which  would  satisfy  his  purer  taste. 

With  the  latter  object  in  view,  the  sages  and  writers  of  old  in- 
terpreted all  that  seemed  "  silly  and  senseless  "  in  mythology  as 
physical  allegories,  —  a  system  subsequently  carried  to  extremes 
by  many  heathen  philosophers  in  the  vain  hope  of  evading  Chris- 
tian satire. 

Learned  men  have   also   explained  these  selfsame  myths  as 

378 


ANALYSIS  OF  MYTHS.  379 

historical  facts  disguised  as  metaphors,  or  as  moral  allegories, 
which  the  choice  of  Hercules  (p.  218)  undoubtedly  is.  Eu- 
hemerus  (316  B.C.)  was  the  pioneer  of  the  former  theory,  and 
Bacon  an  exponent  of  the  latter.  Euhemerus'  method  was  exag- 
gerated by  his  disciples,  who  declared  Zeus  was  merely  a  king  of 
Crete ;  his  war  with  the  giants,  an  attempt  to  repress  a  sedition ; 
Danae's  shower  of  gold  (p.  240),  the  money  with  which  her  guards 
were  bribed ;  Prometheus,  a  maker  of  clay  images,  "  whence  it 
was  hyperbolically  said  lie  created  man  out  of  clay ; "  and  Atlas, 
an  astronomer,  who  was  therefore  spoken  of  as  supporting  the 
weight  of  the  heavens.  This  mode  of  interpretation  was  carried 
to  such  an  extreme  that  it  became  ridiculous,  and  the  inevitable 
reaction  took  place.  In  the  course  of  time,  however,  the  germ 
of  truth  it  contained  was  again  brought  to  light ;  and  very  few 
persons  now  refuse  to  believe  that  some  of  the  heroic  myths  have 
some  slight  historical  basis,  the  "  silly  and  senseless"  element  being 
classed  as  accretions  similar  to  the  fabulous  tales  attached  to  the 
indubitably  historical  name  of  Charlemagne.  During  the  seven- 
teenth century,  some  philosophers,  incited  by  "  the  resemblance 
between  biblical  narrative  and  ancient  myths,  came  to  the  conclu- 
sion that  the  Bible  contained  a  pure  and  the  myths  a  distorted 
form  of  an  original  revelation."  But  within  the  past  century  new 
theories  have  gradually  gained  ground :  for  the  philologists  have 
attempted  to  prove  that  the  myths  arose  from  a  "disease  of 
language  ;  "  while  the  anthropologists,  basing  their  theory  on 
comparative  mythology,  declare  "  it  is  man,  it  is  human  thought 
and  human  language  combined,  which  naturally  and  necessarily 
produced  the  strange  conglomerate  of  ancient  fable." 

As  these  two  last-named  schools  have  either  successfully  con- 
futed or  incorporated  the  theories  of  all  their  predecessors,  a 
brief  outline  of  their  respective  beliefs  will  not  be         Modern 
out  of  place.     While  philology  compares  only  the 
"myths  of  races  which  speak  languages  of  the  same  family"  (as 
will  shortly  be  demonstrated),  anthropology  resorts  to  all  folklore, 
and  seeks  for  the  origin  of  myths,  not  in  language,  which  it  ron- 


380  CLASSICAL  MYTHS. 

siders  only  as  a  subordinate  cause,  but  in  the  "  condition  of 
thought  through  which  all  races  have  passed." 

The  anthropologists,  or  comparative  mythologists,  do  not  deny 
that  during  the  moderate  allowance  of  two  hundred  and  fifty 
Anthropological  thousand  years,  which  they  allot  to  the  human  race 
theory.  on  ear^  the  myths  may  have  spread  from  a  single 
center,  and  either  by  migration,  or  by  slave  or  wife  stealing,  or 
by  other  natural  or  accidental  methods,  may  have  "  wandered 
all  around  the  globe;"  but  they  principally  base  their  arguments 
on  the  fact  that  just  as  flint  arrowheads  are  found  in  all  parts  of 
the  world,  differing  but  slightly  in  form  and  manufacture,  so  the 
myths  of  all  nations  "  resemble  each  other,  because  they  were 
formed  to  meet  the  same  needs,  out  of  the  same  materials." 

They  argue  that  this  similarity  exists,  "  not  because  the  people 
came  from  the  same  stock  "  (which  is  the  philologist's  view),  "  but 
because  they  passed  through  the  same  savage  intellectual  condi- 
tion." By  countless  examples  taken  from  the  folklore  of  all 
parts  of  the  earth,  they  prove  that  the  savage  considers  himself 
akin  to  beasts  (generally  to  the  one  whose  image  is  used  as  a  tribal 
or  family  badge  or  totem),  and  "regards  even  plants,  inanimate 
objects,  and  the  most  abstract  phenomena,  as  persons  with  human 
parts  and  passions."  To  the  savage,  "  sun,  moon,  and  stars  are  per- 
sons, but  savage  persons;"  and,  as  he  believes  "many  of  his  own 
tribe  fellows  to  have  the  power  of  assuming  the  form  of  animals," 
he  concedes  the  same  privilege  and  power  to  sun,  moon,  and  stars, 
etc.  This  school  further  prove  that  all  pre-Christian  religions  have 
idols  representing  beasts,  that  all  mythologies  represent  the  gods 
as  fond  of  appearing  in  animal  forms,  and  declare,  that,  although 
the  Greeks  were  a  thoroughly  civilized  people,  we  can  still  find 
in  their  mythology  and  religion  "abundant  survivals  of  savage 
manners  and  savage  myths."  They  claim,  that,  during  the  myth- 
making  age,  the  ancestors  of  the  Greeks  were  about  on  an  in- 
tellectual level  with  the  present  Australian  Bushmen,  and  that 
"everything  in  civilized  mythologies  which  we  regard  as  irra- 
tional, seems  only  part  of  the  accepted  and  rational  order  of  things 


ANALYSIS   OF  MYTHS.  381 

to  the  contemporary  savages,  and  in  the  past  seemed  equally 
rational  and  natural  to  savages  concerning  whom  we  have  histor- 
ical information."  Of  course  it  is  difficult,  not  to  say  impossible, 
for  civilized  man  to  put  himself  in  the  savage's  place,  and  regard 
things  from  his  point  of  view.  The  nearest  approach  to  primi- 
tive intelligence  which  comes  under  our  immediate  observation  is 
the  working  of  the  minds  of  small  children,  who,  before  they  can 
talk  intelligibly,  whip  the  table  or  chair  against  which  they  have 
bumped  their  heads,  and  later  on  delight  in  weaving  the  most  ex- 
traordinary tales.  A  little  four-year-old  seized  a  book  and  began 
to  "  read  a  story ;  "  that  is  to  say,  to  improvise  a  very  improb- 
able and  highly  colored  tale  of  a  pony.  Forced  to  pause  from 
lack  of  breath,  she  resumed  the  thread  of  her  narrative  with  the 
words,  "  Now,  this  dog ;  "  and,  when  it  was  suggested  that  the 
story  was  about  a  pony,  she  emphatically  replied,  "Well,  this  pony 
was  a  dog,"  and  continued.  Now,  either  because  she  perceived 
that  the  transformation  had  attracted  attention,  or  to  satisfy  the 
childish  inborn  taste  for  the  marvelous,  in  the  course  of  the  next 
few  minutes  the  pony  underwent  as  many  transformations  as 
Proteus,  all  of  which  apparently  seemed  perfectly  natural  to  her. 
The  anthropologists  explain  the  tales  of  the  various  transforma- 
tions of  Jupiter  and  his  animal  progeny  "as  in  many  cases  sur- 
vivals of  the  totemistic  belief  in  descent  from  beasts,"  while  the 
mythologists  explain  them  as  "allegories  of  the  fruitful  union 
of  heaven  and  earth,  of  rain  and  grain."  The  former  school  also 
declare  that  the  myth  of  Cupid  and  Psyche,  which  has  its  parallel 
in  stories  found  in  all  parts  of  the  world,  was  invented  to  explain 
curious  marriage  customs  (for  in  some  countries  it  is  unlawful  for 
the  husband  to  see  his  wife's  face  until  after  she  has  given  birth  to 
her  first  child,  and  in  others  a  wife  may  not  speak  her  husband's 
name) :  the  latter  school  interpret  the  same  myth  as  a  beautiful 
allegory  of  the  soul  and  the  union  of  faith  and  love. 

The  philologists'  interpretation  of  myths  is  not  only  the  most 
accredited  at  the  present  time,  but  also  the  most  poetical.  We 
therefore  give  a  brief  synopsis  of  their  theory,  together  with 


382  CLASSICAL  MYTHS. 

an  analysis,  from  their  point  of  view,  of  the  principal  myths  told 
at  length  in  the  course  of  this  work.  According  to  this  school, 

Philological  "  myths  are  the  result  of  a  disease  of  language,  as 
theory.  fae  peari  js  the  result  of  a  disease  of  the  oyster ; " 
the  key  to  all  mythologies  lies  in  language  ;  and  the  original  names 
of  the  gods,  "  ascertained  by  comparative  philology,  will  be  found, 
as  a  rule,  to  denote  elemental  or  physical  phenomena,"  that  is, 
phenomena  of  the  sunshine,  the  clouds,  rain,  winds,  fire,  etc. 

To  make  their  process  of  reasoning  plain,  it  should  be  explained, 
that  as  French,  Spanish,  and  Italian  are  derived  from  the  Latin, 
even  so  Latin,  Greek,  and  Sanskrit  have  a  common  source  in  a 
much  older  language ;  that,  even  if  Latin  were  entirely  lost,  the 
similarity  of  the  word  "  bridge,"  for  instance  (pans  in  Latin),  in 
French  (pont),  in  Spanish  (puente],  and  in  Italian  (ponte},  would 
justify  the  conclusion  that  these  terms  had  their  origin  in  a  com- 
mon language,  and  that  the  people  who  spoke  it  were  familiar 
with  bridges,  which  they  evidently  called  by  some  name  phoneti- 
cally the  same. 

Further  to  prove  their  position,  they  demonstrate  the  similarity 
of  the  most  common  words  in  all  the  languages  of  the  same 
family,  showing  (as  is  the  case  with  the  word  "  father  "  in  the  ac- 
companying table)  that  they  undergo  but  few  changes  in  sixteen 
different  languages. 

Sanskrit,  pitri.  Latin,  pater. 

Zend,  paitar.  Greek,  pronounced  pdtair, 

Persian,  pader.  Gothic,  vatar. 

Erse,  athair.  German,  vater. 

Italian,  padre.  Dutch,  fader. 

Spanish ,  padre.  Danish,  fader. 

French,  pere.  Swedish,  fader. 

Saxon,  feeder.  English,  father. 

The  most  learned  of  all  these  philologists  argues  that  during 
the  first  or  Rhematic  period,  tl.£re  existed  a  tribe  in  Central  Asia 
which  spoke  a  monosyllabic  language,  in  which  lay  the  germs  of 
the  ^uranian,  Aryan,  and  Semitic  forms  of  speech.  This  Rhe- 


ANALYSIS   OF  MYTHS.  383 

matic  period  was  followed  by  the  Nomadic  or  Agglutinative  age, 
when,  little  by  little,  the  languages  "received  once  for  all  that 
peculiar  impress  of  their  formative  system  which  we  still  find  in 
all  the  dialects  and  national  idioms  comprised  under  the  name  of 
Aryan  or  Semitic  ;  "  that  is  to  say,  in  the  Hindoo,  Persian,  Greek, 
Roman,  Celt,  Slav,  and  Teutonic  languages,  and  in  some  three 
thousand  kindred  dialects. 

After  the  Agglutinative  period,  and  previous  to  the  National  era 
and  "  the  appearance  of  the  first  traces  of  literature,"  he  places 
"a  period  represented  everywhere  by  the  same  characteristic 
features,  called  the  Mythological  or  Mythopoeic  age." 

It  was  during  this  period  that  the  main  part  of  the  vast  fund 
of  mythic  lore  is  supposed  to  have  crystallized  ;  for  primitive  man, 
knowing  nothing  whatever  of  physical  laws,  cause  and  effect, 
and  the  "  necessary  regularity  of  things,"  yet  seeking  an  expla- 
nation of  the  natural  phenomena,  described  them  in  the  only  way 
possible  to  him,  and  attributed  to  all  inanimate  objects  his  own 
sentiments  and  passions,  fancying  them  influenced  by  the  same 
things,  in  the  same  way.  This  tendency  to  personify  or  animate 
everything  is  universal  among  savages,  who  are  nothing  but  men 
in  the  primitive  state ;  and  "  in  early  philosophy  throughout  the 
world,  the  sun,  moon,  and  stars  are  alive,  and,  as  it  were,  human 
in  their  nature."  "  Poetry  has  so  far  kept  alive  in  our  minds  the 
old  animative  theory  of  nature,  that  it  is  no  great  effort  in  us  to 
fancy  the  waterspout  a  huge  .giant  or  a  sea  monster,  and  to  de- 
pict, in  what  we  call  appropriate  metaphor,  its  march  across  the 
field  of  ocean." 

As  the  names  of  the  Greek  gods  and  heroes  have  in  a  great 
measure  been  found  to  correspond  with  the  Sanskrit  names  of 
physical  things,  we  have  been  able  to  read  some  of  the  first 
thoughts  of  primitive  man  ;  and  "  the  obvious  meaning"  of  many 
words  "  did  much  to  preserve  vestiges  of  plain  sense  in  classic 
legend,  in  spite  of  all  the  efforts  of  the  commentators." 

According  to  the  philologists,  therefore,  these  thoughts  had 
alreadv  assumed  a  definite  form  in  the  remote  epoch  when  many 


384  CLASSICAL  MYTHS. 

nations,  now  scattered  over  the  face  of  the  earth,  occupied  the 
same  country,  spoke  the  same  language,  and  formed  but  one 
people.  Of  course,  "  as  long  as  such  beings  as  Heaven  or  Sun 
are  consciously  talked  of  in  mythic  language,  the  meaning  of  their 
legends  is  open  to  no  question,  and  the  action  ascribed  to  them 
will  as  a  rule  be  natural  and  appropriate  ; "  but  with  the  gradual  dif- 
fusion of  this  one  people  to  various  parts  of  the  earth,  the  original 
meaning  of  these  words  was  entirely  lost,  and  they  came  to  be 
looked  upon  eventually  simply  as  the  names  of  deities  or  heroes — 
very  much  in  the  way  that  the  word  "  good-by  "  has  long  survived 
its  original  form  as  a  conscious  prayer,  "  God  be  with  you!  "  and 
the  word  "  ostracism  "  has  lost  all  connection  with  an  oyster  shell. 

The  primitive  meaning  of  a  myth  died  away  with  the  original 
meaning  of  a  word ;  and  it  is  because  "  the  Greek  had  forgotten 
that  Zeus  (Jupiter)  meant  '  the  bright  sky,'  that  he  could  make 
him  king  "  over  a  company  of  manlike  deities  on  Olympus. 

We  can  best  explain  how  the  many  anomalies  occur,  and  how 
the  myths  got  so  tangled  up  together  that  now  it  is  almost 
impossible  to  disentangle  them  and  trace  them  back  to  their 
original  meanings,  by  comparing  their  descent  through  the  ages 
to  the  course  of  a  snowball,  which,  rolling  down  a  mountain  side, 
gathers  to  itself  snow,  earth,  rocks,  etc.,  until,  in  the  vast  ag- 
glomeration of  kindred  and  foreign  substances,  the  original  nucleus 
is  entirely  lost  to  sight. 

The  fact  that  there  are  many  different  myths  to  explain  the 
same  phenomenon  can  readily  be  accounted  for  by  the  old  say- 
ing, "  circumstances  alter  cases."  Thus  the  heat  of  the  sun,  for 
example,  so  beneficial  at  certain  times,  may  prove  baleful  and 
injurious  at  others. 

The  philologists,  who  believe  that  all  myths  (except  the  imi- 
tative myths,  of  which  the  tale  of  Berenice  is  a  fair  example) 
were  originally  nature  myths,  have  divided  them  into  a  few  large 
classes,  which  include  the  myths  of  the  sky,  the  sun,  dawn,  day- 
light, night,  moon,  earth,  sea,'  clouds,  fire,  wind,  and  finally  those 
of  the  underworld  and  of  the  demons  of  drought  and  darkness. 


ANALYSIS   OF  MYTHS.  385 

SKY    MYTHS. 

Taking  them  in  the  order  in  which  they  are  presented  in  this 
work,  we  find  among  the  myths  of  the  sky,  Uranus,  whose  name, 
like  that  of  the  old  Hindoo  god  Varuna,  is  de- 

,-,„,,.  .,  Uranus. 

rived  from  the  Sanskrit  root  Tar  (to  veil,  conceal, 
or  cover  ").    This  god  was  therefore  a  personification  of  the  heav- 
ens, which  are  spread  out  like  a  veil,  and  cover  all  the  earth ;  and 
we  are  further  told  that  he  hurled  the  thunder  and  lightning,  his  Cy- 
clop children,  down  from  his  abode  into  the  abyss  called  Tartarus. 

Zeus  (or  Jupiter),  whose  name  is  the  same  as  the  Hindoo 
Dyaus  Pitar,  the  god  and  personification  of  the  bright  sky  or  the 
heavens,  has  likewise  been  traced  to  the  Sanskrit 
root  div  or  dyu,  meaning  "to  shine;"  and  there  is 
also  a  noun  dyu  in  that  language  which  means  either  "  sky  "  or 
"  day."  In  early  times  the  name  was  applied  to  the  one  God, 
and  was  therefore  "retained  by  the  Greeks  and  all  other  kin- 
dred people  to  express  all  they  felt  toward  God ; "  but  as  the 
word  also  meant  the  visible  sky,  with  its  ever-changing  aspect, 
some  of  the  phrases  used  to  describe  it  came,  in  the  course  of 
time,  to  denote  vile  and  fickle  actions,  and  apparently  inconsis- 
tent behavior. 

The  name  of  Hera  (or  Juno),  the  heavenly  light,  and  therefore 
the  complement  and  consort  of  the  sky,  is  supposed  to  be  derived 
from  the  Sanskrit  soar  ("  the  bright  sky  ")  and  surya 

Juno. 

("  the  sun  ") ;  and  all  the  manifold  changes  which 
at  first  merely  denoted  the  varying  atmosphere,  by  being  personi- 
fied, gradually   gave  the  impression  of  the  jealous,  capricious, 
vengeful  person  whom  poets  and  writers  have  taken  pleasure  in 
depicting  ever  since. 

Another  personification  of  the  sky,  this  time  under  the  noctur- 
nal and  starry  aspect,  is  Argus,  whose  many  bright  eyes  never 
closed  all  at  once,  but  kept  constant  watch  over 

Argus. 

the  moon  (lo)  —  confided  to  his  care  by  the  heav- 
enly light  (Juno)  —  until  at  last  their  beams  were  quenched  by 
the  wind  and  rain  (Mercury). 


386  CLASSICAL  MYTHS. 

SUN    AND    DAWN    MYTHS. 

The  myths  of  the  sun,  from  which  it  is  almost  impossible  to 

separate  those  of  the  dawn,  are  probably  more  numerous  than 

any  others,  and  have  some  main  features  of  re- 

Europa. 

semblance  in  all  cases.  The  first  sun  myth  men- 
tioned in  the  course  of  this  work  is  the  story  of  Europa,  in  which 
Europa  is  "the  broad  spreading  light,"  born  in  Phoenicia  (the 
"purple  land  of  morn"),  the  child  of  Telephassa  ("she  who 
shines  from  afar  "),  carried  away  from  her  eastern  birthplace  by 
the  sky  (Jupiter),  closely  pursued  by  the  sun  ( her  brother  Cad- 
mus), who,  after  passing  through  many  lands,  slays  a  dragon  (the 
usual  demon  of  drought  or  darkness),  and  sets  (dies)  at  last  with- 
out having  ever  overtaken  the  light  of  dawn  (Europa). 

Apollo,  whose  name  of  Helios  is  pure  Greek  for  "  the  sun," 
had  therefore  not  lost  all  physical  significance  for  the  Hellenic 

race,  who  worshiped  in  him  the  radiant  personi- 

Apollo. 

fication  of  the  orb  of  day.  Another  of  his  ap- 
pellations, Phcebus  ("  the  lord  of  life  and  light "),  still  further 
emphasizes  his  character;  and  we  are  informed  that  he  was 
born  of  the  sky  (Jupiter)  and  of  the  dark  night  (Leto),  in  the 
"bright  land"  (Delos),  whence  he  daily  starts  on  his  westward 
journey. 

Like  all  other  solar  heroes,  Apollo  is  beautiful  and  golden- 
haired,  radiant  and  genial,  armed  with  unerring  weapons,  which 
he  wields  for  good  or  evil,  as  the  mood  sways  him.  He  is  forced 
to  labor,  against  his  will  at  times,  for  the  benefit  of  man,  as,  for 
instance,  when  he  serves  Admetus  and  Laomedon ;  and  the 
cattle,  by  which  he  evidently  sets  such  store,  are  the  fleecy 
clouds,  pasturing  "  in  the  infinite  meadows  of  heaven,"  whose  full 
udders  drop  down  rain  and  fatness  upon  the  land,  which  are 
stolen  away  either  by  the  wind  (Mercury),  or  the  storm  demon 
(Cacus),  or  the  impious  companions  of  Ulysses,  who  pay  for 
their  sacrilegious  temerity  with  their  lives. 

The  sun's  affinity  for  the  dawn  is  depicted  by  his  love  for 
Coronis,  who,  however  beloved,  falls  beneath  his  bright  darts ; 


A.\'AL  r.SY.V    OF  MYTHS.  387 

and,  as  "  the  sun  was  regarded  naturally  as  the  restorer  of  life  " 
after  the  blighting  influence  of  winter  and  disease,  so  their  off- 
spring (/Esculapius)  was  naturally  supposed  to  have 
been  endowed  with  marvelous  curative  powers. 

The  sun,  for  the  same  reason,  was  supposed  to  wage  continual 
warfare  against  cold,  sickness,  and  disease,  and  to  use  his  bright 
beams  or  arrows  against  the  demon  of  drought,  darkness,  or  ill- 
ness (Python),  which  in  some  form  or  other  inevitably  appears  in 
even-  solar  myth. 

In  the  story  of  Daphne,  a  name  derived  from  Dahana,  the 
Sanskrit  dawn,  we  find  another  version  of  the  same  story,  where 
the  sun,  although  enamored  with  the  dawn,  causes 
her  death.    As  some  mythologists  have  interpreted 
it,  Daphne  is  a  personification  of  the  morning  dew,  which  van- 
ishes beneath  the  sun's  hot  breath,  and  leaves  no  trace  of  its 
passage  except  in  the  luxuriant  verdure. 

In  Cephalus  and  Procris  the  sun  again  appears,  and  his  unerr- 
ing spear  unwittingly  causes  the  death  of  his  beloved  Procris 
''while  she  lingers  in  a  thicket  (a  place  where  the     cephaiusand 
dew  lingers  longest)."    This  interpretation  has  been         Procris. 
further  confirmed  by  philological  researches,  which  prove  that 
the  name  "  Procris "  originated  from  a  Sanskrit  word  meaning 
"  to  sprinkle ; "  and  the  stories  evidently  arose  from  three  simple 
phrases, —  "'the  sun  loves  the  dew,'  'the  morning  loves  the 
sun,'  and  '  the  sun  kills  the  dew.1 " 

In  the  tale  of  Orpheus  and  Eurydice,  while  some  mythologists 
see  in  him  a  personification  of  the  winds,  which  "  tear  up  trees 
as  they  course  along,  chanting  their  wild  music,"     Orpheus  and 
others  see  an  emblem  of  "  the  morning,  with  its       Eurydice. 
short-lived  beauty."    Eurydice,  whose  name,  like  that  of  Europa, 
comes  from  a  Sanskrit  word  denoting  "  the  broad  spreading  flush 
of  the  dawn  across  the  sky,"  is,  of  course,  a  personification  of  that 
light,  slain  by  "  the  serpent  of  darkness  at  twilight." 

Orpheus  is  also  sometimes  considered  as  the  sun,  plunging  into 
an  abyss  of  darkness,  in  hopes  of  overtaking  the  vanishing  dawn, 


388  CLASSICAL  MYTHS. 

Eurydice;  and  as  the  light  (Eurydice)  reappears  opposite  the 
place  where  he  disappeared,  but  is  no  more  seen  after  the  sun 
himself  has  fairly  risen,  "  they  say  that  Orpheus  has  turned  around 
too  soon  to  look  at  her,  and  so  was  parted  from  the  wife  he  loved 
so  dearly." 

His  death  in  the  forest,  when  his  strength  had  all  forsaken 
him,  and  his  severed  head  floated  down  the  stream  murmuring 
"  Eurydice,"  may  also,  perchance,  have  been  intended  to  repre- 
sent either  the  last  faint  breath  of  the  expiring  wind,  or  the  set- 
ting of  the  sun  in  blood-tinged  clouds. 

In  the  story  of  Phaeton,  whose  name  means  "  the  bright  and 

shining  one,"  a  description  of  the  golden  palace  and  car  of  the 

sun  is  given  us.    We  are  told  that  the  venturesome 

Phaeton.  ° 

young  charioteer,  by  usurping  his  fathers  place, 
causes  incalculable  mischief,  and,  in  punishment  for  his  misman- 
agement of  the  solar  steeds  (the  fleecy  white  clouds),  is  hurled 
from  his  exalted  seat  by  a  thunderbolt  launched  by  the  hand  of 
Jupiter. 

"  This  story  arose  from  phrases  which  spoke  of  drought  as 
caused  by  the  chariot  of  Helios,  when  driven  by  some  one  who 
knew  not  how  to  guide  his  horses ;  and  the  smiting  of  Phaeton 
by  the  bolt  of  Zeus  is  the  ending  of  the  time  of  drought  by  a 
sudden  storm  of  thunder." 

The  story  of  Diana  and  Endymion  has  also  been  interpreted 

as  a.  sun  myth,  in  which  the  name  "  Endymion  "  refers  specially 

to  the  dying  or  setting  sun,  who  sinks  to  rest  on 

Endymion. 

Mount  Latmus  (the  land  of  forgetfulness,  de- 
rived from  the  same  root  as  "  Leto  ").  Miiller,  the  great  authority 
in  philology,  tells  us,  that,  in  the  ancient  poetical  and  proverbial 
language  of  Elis,  people  said,  "  Selene  loves  and  watches  Endym- 
ion," instead  of  saying,  "It  is  getting  late;"  "Selene  embraces 
Endymion,"  instead  of,  "  The  sun  is  setting  and  the  moon  is 
rising;"  "Selene  kisses  Endymion  into  sleep,"  instead  of,  "It  is 
night." 

These  expressions  remained  long  after  their  real  meaning  had 


ANALYSIS  OF  MYTHS.  389 

ceased  to  be  understood  ;  and,  as  the  human  mind  is  generally  as 
anxious  for  a  reason  as  ready  to  invent  one,  a  story  arose  without 
any  conscious  effort,  that  Endymion  must  have  been  a  young  lad 
loved  by  a  young  maiden,  Selene. 

In  the  story  of  Adonis  some  mythologists  find  another  sun 
myth,  in  which  Adonis,  the  short-lived  sun,  is  slain 

Adonis. 

by  the  boar,  the  demon  of  darkness,  and  passion- 
ately mourned  by  the  dawn  or  twilight  (Venus),  who  utterly  re- 
fuses to  exist  without  him. 

In  the  story  of  Tantalus  (the  sun),  who  in  time  of  drought 
offers  to  Jupiter  the  flesh  of  his  own  offspring,  Pelops  (the  with- 
ered fruits),  and  in  punishment  for  his  impiety 

Tantalus. 

is  doomed  to  hunger  and  torturing  thirst,  we  have 
again  merely  a  story  founded  upon  an  expression  used  in  time 
of  drought,  when  the  sun's  heat,  becoming  too  intense,  burns  up 
the  fruit  his  fostering  rays  had  produced,  and  men  exclaimed, 
"  Tantalus  is  slaying  and  roasting  his  own  child  !  " 

In  the  same  way  the  stone  which  Sisyphus  painfully  forced  up 
a  steep  ascent,  only  to  see  it  go  rolling  down  and  plunge  into 
a  dark  abyss  enveloped  in  a  great  cloud  of  dust, 

Sisyphus. 

has  been  interpreted  to  represent  the  sun,  which 

is  no  "  sooner  pushed  up  to  the  zenith,  than  it  rolls  down  to  the 

horizon." 

The  name  of  Ixion  has  been  identified  with  the  Sanskrit  word 
Akshanah,  denoting  one  who  is  bound  to  a  wheel,  and  has  been 
proved  akin  "to  the  Greek  axoti,  the  Latin  axis, 

Ixion. 

and  the  English  axle."  This  whirling  wheel  of 
fire  is  the  bright  orb  of  day,  to  which  he  was  bound  by  order  of 
Jupiter  (the  sky)  because  he  dared  insult  Juno  (the  queen  pi  the 
blue  air);  while  Dia,  his  wife,  is  the  dawn,  the  counterpart  of 
Europa,  Coronis,  Daphne,  Prom's.  Kurydire,  and  Venus,  in  the 
foregoing  illustrations. 

One  of  the  greatest  of  all  the  solar  heroes  is  doubtless  the 
demigod  Hercules,  born  at  Argos  (a  word  signifying  "bright- 
ness") from  the  sky  (Jupiter)  and  the  dawn  (Alcmene),  who,  in 


39°  CLASSICAL   MYTHS. 

early  infancy,  throttles  the  serpents  of  darkness,  and  who,  with 

untiring  strength  and  patience,  plods  through  life,  never  resting, 

and  always  on  his  journey  performing  twelve  great 

Hercules.  . 

tasks,  interpreted  to  represent  either  the  twelve 
signs  of  the  Zodiac,  or  the  twelve  months  of  the  solar  year,  or 
the  twelve  hours  of  daylight. 

Like  Apollo  and  Cadmus,  Hercules  is  forced  to  labor  for 
mankind  against  his  will.  We  see  him  early  in  life  united  to 

Megara,  and,  like  Tantalus,  slaying  his  own  off- 

lolc. 

spring  in  a  sudden  fit  of  madness.  He  loves  and 
is  soon  forced  to  leave  lole,  the  violet-colored  clouds.  He  per- 
forms great  deeds,  slays  innumerable  demons  of  drought  and 
darkness  on  his  way,  and  visits  the  enchanted  land  of  the  Hes- 
perides,  —  a  symbol  of  the  western  sky  and  clouds  at  sunset. 

The  main  part  of  his  life  is  spent  with  Deianeira  ("  the  destroy- 
ing spouse  "),  a  personification  of  the  daylight ;  but  toward  the 
end  of  his  career  he  again  encounters  lole,  now 
the  beautiful  twilight.  It  is  then  that  Deianeira 
(the  daylight),  jealous  of  her  rival's  charms,  sends  him  the  bloody 
Nessus  robe,  which  he  has  no  sooner  donned,  than  he  tears  it 
from  his  bleeding  limbs,  ascends  the  burning  pile,  and  ends  his 
career  in  one  grand  blaze,  —  the  emblem  of  the  sun  setting  in  a 
framework  of  flaming  crimson  clouds. 

Like  all  solar  heroes,  he  too  has  unerring  poisoned  weapons 
("the  word  ios,  'a.  spear,'  is  the  same  in  sound  as  the  word  ios, 
'  poison '  "),  of  which  he  is  shorn  only  at  death. 

Perseus  also  belongs  to  this  category  of  myths.     Danae,  his 

mother,  either  the  earth  (dcino  means  "  burnt  earth  ")  or  the  dawn, 

a  daughter  of  Acrisius  (darkness),  is  born  in  Argos 

Perseus. 

(brightness).  Loved  by  Jupiter,  the  all-embracing 
sky,  she  gives  birth  to  the  golden-haired  Perseus,  a  personifica- 
tion of  the  radiant  orb  of  day ;  and  he,  like  many  another 
solar  hero,  is  cast  adrift  immediately  after  his  birth,  owing  to  an 
ominous  prophecy  that  he  will  slay  the  darkness  from  which  he 
originally  sprang. 


.I.Y.I L} \S7.V   OF  MYTHS.  391 

As  soon  as  Perseus  attains  manhood,  he  is  forced  to  journey 
against  his  will  into  the  distant  land  of  the  mists  (the  Graeae),  and 
conquer  the  terrible  Medusa,  "  the  starlit  night,  solemn  in  its 
beauty,  but  doomed  to  die  when  the  sun  rises."  He  accomplishes 
this  by  means  of  his  irresistible  sword,  the  piercing  rays  of  the 
sun,  and  then  passes  on  to  encounter  the  monster  of  drought, 
and  to  marry  Andromeda,  another  personification  of  the  dawn, 
the  offspring  of  Celeus  and  Cassiopeia,  who  also  represent  night 
and  darkness. 

In  company  with  Andromeda,  Perseus,  whose  name  also  sig- 
nifies "  the  destroyer,"  revisits  his  native  land,  and  fulfills  the 
prophecy  by  slaying  Acrisius  (the  darkness),  whence  he  origi- 
nally sprang. 

In  the  Athenian  solar  myth,  Theseus  is  the  sun,  born  of  ^Egeus 
(the  sea,  derived  from  iiisso,  "  to  move  quickly  like  the  waves  ") 

and  ^Ethra  (the  pure  air).     He  lingers  in  his  birth- 
Theseus, 
place,  Trcezene,   until   he   has  acquired  strength 

enough  to  wield  his  invincible  sword,  then  journeys  onward  in 
search  of  his  father,  performing  countless  great  deeds  for  the  ben- 
efit of  mankind.  He  slays  the  Minotaur,  the  terrible  monster  of 
darkness,  and  carries  off  the  dawn  (Ariadne) ;  whom  he  is,  how- 
ever, forced  to  abandon  shortly  after  on  the  Island  of  Naxos. 

In  his  subsequent  career  we  find  him  the  involuntary  cause  of 
his  father's  death,  then  warring  against  the  Centaurs  (personifica- 
tions of  the  clouds,  through  which  the  victorious  sun  is  some- 
times forced  to  fight  his  way),  then  again  plunging  for  a  short 
space  of  time  into  the  depths  of  Tartarus,  whence  he  emerges 
once  more ;  and  finally  we  see  him  uniting  his  fate  to  Phaedra 
(the  twilight),  a  sister  of  the  beautiful  dawn  he  loved  in  his  youth. 
He  ends  his  eventful  career  by  being  hurled  headlong  from  a 
cliff  into  the  sea,  —  an  emblem  of  the  sun,  which  often  seems  to 
plunge  into  the  waves  at  i-ventide. 

In  the  story  of  the  Argnnautic  expedition  we  have  Athamas, 
who  marries  Nephele  (the  mist).  Their  children  are  Phryxus 
and  Helle  (the  cold  and  warm  air,  or  personifications  of  the 


39 2  CLASSICAL    MYTHS. 

clouds),  carried  off  to  the  far  east  by  the  ram  —  whose  golden 

fleece  was  but  an  emblem  of  the  rays  of  the  sun  —  to  enable 

them  to  escape  from  the  baleful  influence  of  their 

Argonauts. 

stepmother  Ino  (the  broad  daylight),  who  would 
fain  encompass  their  destruction. 

Helle,  an   emblem   of  the  condensation   of  vapor,  falls  from 
her  exalted  seat  into  the  sea,  where  she  is  lost.     The  ship  Argo 

"is  a  symbol  of  the  earth  as  a  parent,  which  con- 
Medea. 

tains  in  itself  the  germs  of  all  living  things."     Its 

crew  is  composed  mainly  of  solar  heroes,  all  in  quest  of  the 
golden  fleece  (the  rays  of  the  sun),  which  Jason  recovers  by  the 
aid  of  Medea  (the  dawn),  after  slaying  the  dragon  (the  demon  of 
drought).  ^Eetes,  Medea's  father,  is  a  personification  of  the 
darkness,  which  vainly  attempts  to  recover  his  children,  the 
dawn  and  light  (?),  after  they  have  been  borne  away  by  the  all- 
conquering  sun. 

Glauce   (the  broad   daylight)   next  charms  Jason ;    and  the 

poisoned  robe  which  causes  her  death  is  woven  by  Medea,  now 

the  evening  twilight,  who  mounts  her  dragon  car 

and  flies  to  the  far  east,  forsaking  her  husband  (the 

sun)  in  his  old  age,  when  he  is  about  to  sink  into  the  sleep  of 

death. 

Meleager  is  also  a  solar  hero.     After  joining  the  Argonautic 

expedition,  and  wandering  far  and  wide,  he  returns  home,  slays 

the  boar  (or  drought  fiend),  loves,  but  parts  from, 

Atalanta  (the  dawn  maiden),  and  is  finally  slain 

by  his  own  mother,  who  casts  into  the  flames  the  brand  upon 

which  his  existence  depends. 

In  the  Theban  solar  myth,  Laius  (derived  from  the  same  root 

as  "  Leto  "  and  "  Latmus  ")  is  the  emblem  of  darkness,  who,  after 

marrying  Jocasta  (like  lole,  a  personification  of 

the   violet-tinted   clouds  of   dawn),  becomes  the 

father  of  CEdipus,  doomed  by  fate  to  be  the  murderer  of  his  father. 

Early  in  life  CEdipus  is  exposed  on  the  barren  hillside  to  perish, 

—  an  emblem  of  the  horizontal  rays  of  the  rising  sun,  which 


ANALYSIS  OF  MYTHS.  393 

seem  to  lie  for  a  while  upon  the  mountain  slopes,  ere  they  rise 
to  begin  their  journey. 

He  too,  like  Cadmus,  Apollo,  Hercules,  Perseus,  Theseus, 
and  Jason,  is  forced  to  wander  far  from  home,  and,  after  a  pro- 
longed journey,  encounters  and  slays  Laius  (the  darkness), 
from  whom  he  derived  his  existence,  and  kills  the  dread  monster 
of  drought,  the  Sphinx,  whose  very  name  means  "one  who  binds 
fast,"  —  a  creature  who  had  imprisoned  the  rain  in  the  clouds, 
and  thus  caused  great  distress. 

Urged  on  by  unrelenting  fate,  he  marries  his  own  mother, 
Jocasta,  now  the  violet-tinted  twilight,  and  ends  his  life  amid 
lightning  flashes  and  rolls  of  thunder,  after  being  accompanied  to 
the  end  of  his  course  by  Antigone  ("  the  pale  light  which  springs 
up  opposite  the  sun  at  his  setting").  This  story  —  which  at  first 
was  merely  intended  to  signify  that  the  sun  (CEdipus)  must  slay 
the  darkness  (Laius)  and'  linger  for  a  while  beside  the  violet-col- 
ored clouds  (Jocasta)  —  having  lost  its  physical  meaning,  the 
Thebans  added  the  tragic  sequel,  for  it  seemed  but  poetic  justice 
that  the  author  of  such  crimes  should  receive  signal  punishment. 

As  the  Eumenides,  or  Erinnyes,  were  at  first  merely  the  search- 
ing light  of  day,  from  which  nothing  can  be  hidden,  they  came 
gradually  to  be  considered  the  detectives  and 

Eumenides. 

avengers  of  crime,  and  were  therefore  said  to  take 

possession  of  a  criminal  at  the  end  of  his  course,  and  hurry  him 

down  into  darkness  to  inflict  horrible  torments  upon  him. 

In  the  story  of  Bellerophon,  although  the  name  originally 
came  from  Bcllero  (some  "  power  of  darkness,  drought,  winter, 
or  moral  evil")  and  from  phon  or  phonies  (a  word 

Bellerophon. 

derived  from  the  Sanskrit  han-ta,  "the  killer"), 
the  Greeks,  having  forgotten  the  signification  of  the  first  part  of 
the  word,  declared  this  hero  was  the  murderer  of  Bellero,  his 
brother,  for  which  involuntary  crime  he  was  driven  from  home, 
and  forced'  to  wander  about  in  search  of  shelter. 

We  find  this  hero,  although  enticed  by  Anteia  (the  dawn), 
virtuously  hastening  away,  then  sent  against  his  will  to  fight 


394  CLASSICAL  MYTHS. 

the  Chimsera  (the  monster  of  drought),  whom  he  overcomes, 
thanks  to  his  weapon  and  to  Pegasus  (the  clouds),  born  from 
the  mist  of  the  sea,  beneath  whose  hoofs  fresh  fountains  were 
wont  to  spring. 

Bellerophon,  after  many  journeys,  is  finally  united  to  Philonoe, 
a  personification  of  the  twilight,  and  ends  his  career  by  being 
hurled  from  the  zenith  into  utter  darkness  by  one  of  Jupiter's 
deadly  thunderbolts. 

"  The  fall  of  Bellerophon  is  the  rapid  descent  of  the  sun 
toward  evening,  and  the  Alein  plain  is  that  broad  expanse  of 
somber  light  through  which  the  sun  sometimes  seems  to  travel 
sullenly  and  alone  to  his  setting." 

In  the  story  of  the  Trojan  war  there  are  several  sun  myths ; 
for  Paris,  Menelaus,  Agamemnon,  and  Achilles  have  equal 
claims  to  be  considered  personifications  of  the  sun. 
They  love  CEnone,  Helen,  Clytaemnestra,  Briseis, 
various  impersonations  of  the  dawn,  and  forsake,  or  are  forsaken 
by,  their  ladyloves,  whom  they  meet  again  at  the  end  of  their 
career :  for  Paris  sees  CEnone,  and  expires  with  her  on  the  burn- 
ing pile ;  Menelaus  recovers  Helen-,  with  whom  he  vanishes  in 
the  far  west ;  Agamemnon  rejoins  Clytaemnestra,  and  dies  by  her 
hand  in  a  bloody  bath ;  while  Achilles,  after  a  period  of  sullen 
gloom,  meets  with  an  untimely  death  shortly  after  recovering  the 
beautiful  Briseis. 

Like  Perseus  and  CEdipus,  Paris  is  exposed  in  early  infancy, 
and  lives  to  fulfill  his  destiny,  and  cause,  though  indirectly,  the 
death  of  his  parents. 

In  this  myth,  Helen  (the  beautiful  dawn  or  twilight),  whose 
name  corresponds  phonetically  with  the  Sanskrit  Sarama,  born  of 
the  sky  (Jupiter)  and  of  the  night  (Leda,  derived  from  the  same 
root  as  "Leto,"  "  Latmus,"  and  "Laius  "),  is  carried  away  by  Paris, 
whom  some  mythologists  identify  with  the  Hindoo  Pauls  (or 
"  night  demons  ")  instead  of  the  sun.  In  this  character  he  entices 
away  the  fickle  twilight  (Helen)  during  her  husband's  temporary 
absence,  and  bears  her  off  to  the  far  east,  where,  after  struggling 


.-/.V./7,  KSY.V    Ol-    J/r/YAY.  395 

for  a  while  to  retain  possession  of  her  and  her  treasures,  he  is 
finally  forced  to  relinquish  her,  and  she  returns  to  her  husband 
and  her  allegiance. 

The  siege  of  Troy  has  thus  been  interpreted  to  signify  "a 
repetition  of  the  daily  siege  of  the  east  by  the  solar  powers,  that 
every  evening  are  robbed  of  their  brightest  treasures  in  the  west." 

Achilles,  like  several  of  his  brother  heroes,  "  fights  in  no 
quarrel  of  his  own  ;  his  wrath  is  the  sun  hiding  his  face  behind 
the  clouds;  the  Myrmidons  are  his  attendant  beams,  who  no 
longer  appear  when  the  sun  is  hidden  ;  Patroclus  is  the  feeble 
reflection  of  the  sun's  splendor,  and  stands  to  him  in  precisely 
the  same  relation  as  Phaeton  to  Helios,"  and,  like  him,  meets 
with  an  early  death  on  account  of  his  disobedience. 

In  the  story  of  Ulysses  we  find  a  reproduction  of  the  story  of 
Hercules  and  Perseus:  for  Ulysses,  early  in  life,  after  wedding 
Penelope,  is  forced  to  leave  her  to  fight  for  an- 

.  .  .  Ulysses. 

other ;  and  on  his  return,  although  longing  to  re- 
join his  morning  bride,  he  cannot  turn  aside  from  the  course 
marked  out  for  him.  He  is  detained  by  Circe  (the  moon), 
who  weaves  airy  tissues,  and  by  Calypso  (the  nymph  of  dark- 
ness) ;  but  neither  can  keep  him  forever,  and  he  returns  home 
enveloped  in  an  impenetrable  disguise,  after  having  visited  the 
Phaearian  land  (the  land  of  clouds  or  mists).  It  is  only  after 
he  has  slain  the  suitors  of  Penelope  (the  weaver  of  bright  even- 
ing clouds)  that  he  casts  aside  his  beggar's  garb  to  linger  for  a 
short  time  beside  her  ere  he  vanishes  in  the  west. 

The  greater  part  of  the  dawn  myths  have  been  explained 
simultaneously  with  the  sun  myths,  with  which  they  are  inex- 
tricably interwoven.  One  personification  of  the 

1  .  Minerva. 

dawn,  however,  stands  apart.  It  is  Minerva,  whose 
Greek  name,  Athene,  is  derived,  like  Daphne,  from  the  Sanskrit 
Dahana,  or  ahana  (meaning  "  the  light  of  daybreak  "),  and  we 
are  thus  enabled  to  understand  why  the  Greeks  described  her  as 
sprung  from  the  forehead  of  Zeus  (the  heavens).  She  gradually 
became  the  impersonation  of  the  illuminating  and  knowK. 


396  CLASSICAL  MYTHS. 

giving  light  of  the  sky ;  for  in  Sanskrit  the  same  word  also  means 
"to  wake  "  and  "to  know,"  while  the  Latins  connected  her  name 
of  Minerva  with  wens,  the  same  as  the  Greek  menos  and  the 
English  mind. 

MOON    MYTHS. 

In  the  moon  myths  the  most  important  personification  is  first 
Diana,  the  horned  huntress,  "  for  to  the  ancients  the  moon  was 
Diana,  io,  and    not  a  lifeless  ball  of  stones  and  clods."     Diana, 
Circe.          ijke  Apollo,  her  twin  brother,  was  also  a  child  of 
the  sky  (Jupiter)  and  of  night  (Latona),  and,  like  him,  was  born 
in  the  "bright  land"  (Delos).     She  also  possessed  bright  and  un- 
erring arrows,  and  in  the  course  of  her  nightly  journey  she  looked 
lovingly  down  upon  the  sleeping  face  of  the  setting  sun  (En- 
dymion). 

Io  and  Circe,  already  mentioned,  are  also  personifications  of 
the  moon,  and  lo's  wanderings  represent  its  journeys  across 
the  sky. 

EARTH    MYTHS. 

In  the  earth  myths,  beside  those  already  mentioned  in  con- 

Geea  and  ncction  with  the  sun  myths,  we  have  Gaea  and 
Rhea.  Rhea,  the  mothers  and  consorts  of  the  Sky  and  of 
Time,  who  swallows  his  own  children,  "  the  Days,  as  they  come 
each  in  order." 

We  have  also  Ceres  or  Demeter,  "  the  mother  of  all  things," 
and  more  particularly  of  "  the  maiden  "  Cora  (or  Proserpina), 

Ceres  and  whose  loss  she  grievously  mourned ;  for  she  had 
Proserpina.  been  carried  away  by  Pluto  to  the  underworld, 
whence  she  could  only  emerge  at  the  command  of  Jupiter. 
During  the  time  of  Ceres'  mourning,  the  earth  remained  barren, 
and  it  seemed  as  though  all  mortal  things  must  die.  But  when 
Proserpina  (the  spring  or  vegetation)  returned  from  her  sojourn 
under  the  ground,  people  said  "  that  the  daughter  of  the  earth 
was  returning  in  all  her  beauty ;  and  when  summer  faded  into 
winter,  they  said  that  the  beautiful  child  had  been  stolen  away 


ANALYSIS   Of  MYTHS.  397 

from  her  mother  by  dark  beings,  who  kept  her  imprisoned  be- 
neath the  earth."  The  sorrow  of  Ceres  was  therefore  merely  a 
poetical  way  of  expressing  "  the  gloom  which  falls  on  the  earth 
during  the  cheerless  months  of  winter." 

Danae,  as  a  personification  of  the  earth,  was  quickened  by  the 
golden  shower,  the  light  of  the  morning,  which  streamed  in  upon 
the  darkness  of  the  night.     Semele  has  also  been       Danae  and 
interpreted  as  the  earth,  the  chosen  bride  of  the         Semele. 
sky,  who  brings  forth  her  offspring  in  the  midst  of  the  thunder 
and  lightning  of  a  summer  storm. 

SEA    MYTHS. 

The  myths  of  the  sea  comprise,  of  course,  Oceanus  and  Nep- 
tune (the  earth-shaker),  whose  name  is  connected  with  such  words 
as   "potent"  and   "despot,"  and    whose   "green     oceanusand 
hair  circles  all  the  earth."    We  are  further  informed        Neptune, 
that  he  loves  the  earth  (Ceres),  whom  he  embraces,  and  that  he 
marries  the  graceful  undulating  Amphitrite,  whose  gliding  charms 
appeal  to  him.      Neptune's  palace  is  beneath  the  deep  waters 
near  Greece,  and  he  is  said  to  ride  about  his  realm  in  a  swift 
chariot  drawn  by  golden  or  white  maned  steeds. 

Nereus,  another  personification  of  the  sea,  whose  name  is  de- 
rived from  nao  ("to  flow  "),  is  quite  inseparable  from  his  native 
element,  even  in  the  Greeks'  conception  of  him, 

Nereus. 

as  are  also  the  Tritons,  Oceanides,  Nereides,  and 
the  alluring  Sirens;  who,  however,  have  also  been  viewed  as  per- 
sonifications of  the  winds. 

CLOUD    MYTHS. 

The  cloud  myths,  to  which  frequent  allusion  has  already  been 
made,  comprise  not  only  the  cattle  of  the  sun,  the  Centaurs, 
Nephele,  Phryxus,  Helle,  and  Pegasus,  but  as,  "  in         ^^ 
primitive   Aryan   lore,   the    sky   itself  was  a  blue 
sea,  and  the  clouds  were  ships  sailing  over  it."  so  Charon's  boat 
was  supposed  to  be  one  of  these  vessels,  and  the  gilded  shallop 


398  CLASSICAL    MYTHS. 

in  which  the  sun  daily  made  his  pilgrimage  back  to  the  far  east, 
another. 

As  the  ancient  Aryan  had  the  same  word  to  denote  cloud  and 

mountain  ("for  the  piles  of  vapor  on  the  horizon  were  so  like 

Alpine  ranges  ").  the  cloud  and  mountain  myths 

Niobe. 

are  often  the  same.  In  the  story  of  Niobe  we 
have  one  of  the  cloud  myths.  According  to  some  mythologists, 
Niobe  herself  is  a  personification  of  the  clouds.  Her  many  chil- 
dren, the  mists,  are  fully  as  beautiful  as  Apollo  and  Diana,  by 
whose  bright  darts  they  are  ruthlessly  slain.  Niobe  grieves  so 
sorely  at  their  untimely  death,  that  she  dissolves  in  a  rain  of  tears, 
which  turns  into  hard  ice  on  the  mountain  summit.  Accord- 
ing to  other  authorities,  she  was  a  personification  of  winter,  and 
her  tears  represented  the  thaw  occasioned  by  the  sunbeams 
(Apollo's  arrows). 

FIRE    MYTHS. 

The  fire  myths  also  form  quite  a  large  class,  and  comprise  the 

Cyclopes  (the  thunder  and  lightning),  children  of  Heaven  and 

Earth,  whose  single  blazing  eye  has  been  consid- 

Cyclopes. 

ered  an  emblem  of  the  sun.  They  forge  the  ter- 
rible thunderbolts,  the  weapons  of  the  sky  (Jupiter),  by  means 
of  which  he  is  enabled  to  triumph  over  all  his  enemies,  and  rule 
supreme. 

The  Titans  are  emblems  of  the  subterranean  fires  and  the  vol- 
canic forces  of  nature,  which,  hidden  deep  underground,  occa- 
sionally emerge,  heave  up  great  masses  of  rock, 
and  hurl  them  about  with  an  accompaniment  of 
deafening  roars,  while  their  ponderous  tread   causes  the  very 
earth  beneath  them  to  tremble. 

In  this  group  we  also  find  Prometheus,  whose  name  has  been 

traced  to  the  Sanskrit/ra//w/////<7  (or  "  fire  drill  ").     Learned  men 

have  therefore  proved  that  the  "  beneficent  Titan, 

Prometheus.  . 

who  stole  fire  from  heaven  and  bestowed  it  upon 
mankind  as  the  richest  of  boons,"  was  originally  nothing  but 


ANALYSIS   OF  MYTHS.  399 

the  lightning  ("  the  celestial  drill  which  churns  fire  out  of  the 
clouds  ") ;  but  the  Greeks  had  so  entirely  forgotten  this  etymo- 
logical meaning,  that  they  interpreted  his  name  as  the  "fore- 
thinker,"  and  considered  him  endowed  with  extraordinary  pro- 
phetic powers. 

Vulcan  (or  Hephaestus),  strictly  "  the  brightness  of  the  flame," 
another  fire  hero,  is  represented  as  very  puny  at  birth,  because  the 
flame  comes  from  a  tiny  spark.  His  name  is  de- 
rived from  the  Hindoo  agtii,  whence  come  the 
Latin  ignis  and  the  English  verb  to  ignite.  Vulcan  dwells  by 
preference  in  the  heart  of  volcanoes,  where  the  intense  heat 
keeps  the  metals  in  fusion,  and  so  malleable  that  he  can  mold 
them  at  will ;  and,  as  "  the  association  of  the  heavenly  fire  with 
the  life-giving  forces  of  nature  is  very  common,"  the  Hindoo 
Agni  was  considered  the  patron  of  marriage  as  well  as  of  fire ; 
and  the  Greeks,  to  carry  out  this  idea,  united  their  fire  god, 
Hephaestus,  to  the  goddess  of  marriage,  Aphrodite. 

The  Greek  Hestia  (or  Latin  Vesta)  was  also  a  personification 
of  fire ;  and,  her  name  having  retained  its  primitive  meaning  to 
a  great  extent,  "  she  continued  to  the  end,  as  she 

Vesta. 

had  been  from  the  beginning,  the  household  altar, 
the  sanctuary  of  peace  and  equity,  and  the  source  of  all  hap- 
piness and  wealth."  Her  office  was  not  limited  merely  to  the 
hearths  of  households  and  cities,  for  it  was  supposed  "  that  in 
the  center  of  the  earth  there  was  a  hearth  which  answered  to  the 
hearth  placed  in  the  center  of  the  universe." 

WIND    MYTHS. 

In  the  myths  of  the  wind,  Mercury  (or  Hermes)  was  one  of 
the  principal  personifications.     According  to  the  ancients,  he  was 
born  of  the  sky  (Jupiter)  and  the  plains  (Maia),       Mercury 
and  after  a  very  few  hours'  existence  assumed  gi- 
gantic proportions,  stole  away  the  cattle  of  the  sun  (the  clouds), 
and,  after  fanning  up  a  great  fire  in  which  he  consumed  some  of 
the  herd,  glided  back  into  his  cradle  at  dawn.     With  a  low, 


400  CLASSICAL  MYTHS. 

mocking  chuckle  at  the  recollection  of  the  pranks  he  had  played, 
he  sank  finally  into  rest.  His  name,  derived  from  the  Sanskrit 
Sarameias,  means  "  the  breeze  of  a  summer  morning ;  "  and  it  is 
in  his  capacity  of  god  of  the  wind  that  he  is  supposed  to  waft 
away  the  souls  of  the  dead ;  for  "  the  ancients  held  that  in  the 
wind  were  the  souls  of  the  dead."  Mercury  is  the  "lying,  trick- 
some  wind  god  who  invented  music,"  for  his  music  is  but  "  the 
melody  of  the  winds,  which  can  awaken  feelings  of  joy  and  sor- 
row, of  regret  and  yearning,  of  fear  and  hope,  of  vehement  glad- 
ness and  utter  despair." 

Another  personification  of  the  wind  was  Mars  (or  Ares),  born 

of  the  sky  (Jupiter)  and  of  the  heavenly  light  (Juno)  in  the  bleak 

land  of  Thrace,  rejoicing  in  din  and  in  the  noise  of 

Mars. 

warfare.  His  nature  is  further  revealed  by  his  in- 
constancy and  capriciousness ;  and  whenever  he  is  overcome, 
he  is  noted  for  his  great  roar.  His  name  comes  from  the  same 
root  as  Maruts,  the  Indian  god,  and  means  the  "grinder"  or 
"crusher."  It  was  first  applied  "to  the  storms  which  throw 
heaven  and  earth  into  confusion,  and  hence  the  idea  of  Ares  is 
confined  to  mere  disorder  and  tumult." 

Otus  and  Ephialtes,  the  gigantic  sons  of  Neptune,  were  also 
at  first  merely  personifications  of  the  wind  and  hurricanes.  The 

otus  and        name   of   the  latter  indicates   "  one  who  leaps." 

Ephialtes.  Although  very  short-lived,  these  giants  were  sup- 
posed to  increase  rapidly  in  size,  and  assume  colossal  proportions, 
which  inspired  the  hearts  of  men  and  gods  with  terror,  until  they 
saw  them  finally  slain  by  the  unfailing  arrows  of  the  sun. 

Pan,  ^Eolus,  his  numerous  progeny,  and  the  Harpies,  were  also 
Pan,  .ffioius,  and  wind  divinities  who  never  entirely  lost  their  origi- 
the  Harpies.  naj  character  with  the  Greeks,  and  were  there- 
fore worshiped  merely  as  personifications  of  the  elements. 

UNDERWORLD    MYTHS. 

The  myths  of  drought,  darkness,  and  of  the  underworld  have 
sufficiently  been  dwelt  upon  as  personified  by  Python,  the  Hydra, 


AA'.-l  LYSIS   OF  MYTHS.  401 

Geryones,  the  Gorgons,  Graeae,  Minotaur,  Sphinx,  Chimaera,  etc. ; 
but  their  main  personifications  were  Cerberus  (the  grim  three- 
headed  guardian  of  the  nether  world)  and  Pluto  (or        Cerberus 
Aides),  whose  name  means  "  the  wealth-giver,"  or       and  Pluto- 
"  the  unseen,"  who  greedily  drew  all  things  down  into  his  realm, 
never  to  relinquish  his  grasp  upon  them. 

Such  is  the  physical  explanation  of  the  various  poetical  myths 
which  form  the  staple  of  classic  literature,  and  which  have  been  a 
fount  of  inspiration  for  poets  and  artists  of  all  ages. 


GENEALOGI 


NOTE.  —  Double  vertical  lines  indicate 
that  several  generations  intervene. 


Chaos-Aj-.r 
Erebus-.Y 

Hemera-^-AV 


Gefti     E 

Uranus 


Ocean  us-  Thetis    Cceus-PAa?6e    lapetus-   Hyperion-  Crius   Thtmis-  Ilia  Cronus-R/tfii  Mnemosyne-  : 

r I  Clymene         Gtea  Jupiter  Jupiter 

Mars     Lafona-Jupiter 

Clio          C 


Dia-lxion  Coro>iis-A.<po\\o-Dia>ta 

yEsculapius 
I 

Machaon    Hygeia 


r — 

Aurvna-JEolus    I'aicee    Horee 


1  f  Corns  Hymen      Orpheus 

jEsculapius  Boreas- Orithyia     \  Eurus  Eurydic 

•  Xotus 
Aquilo 
Zephyrus-T'&rn 


Centaurs       Pirithous-///^/^</<z;w/«       Zetus     Calais     Cleopatra     Chione         I'esta     y«;/o-Jupiter     Ne 


Menetius     Atlas     Hesperus 
Hesperiites 


Prometheus 


Hellen 


iEolus     Dorus     Xuthu 


Sol 


Salmoncus  Sisyphus  Ion 

Tyro-Neptune    Glaucus 


Pasiphtf  Circe  yEetes    ^Eson  Pelias  Neleus     Bellerophon- 
I  PhilfmoS 


Absyrtus    Medea-Jason 


Nestor 


Mars-/-V«//j     Vulca 
Cacus    Pe 

Anteros  CupiA-Psyc/u-  Ilarnio 

ia;us  | 

In,-       I 
C  Athamas- i> "   Aristaeus    _ 

)  Nephele  .      < 

Ac:  aeon 

Phryxus     Helle     Palaemon     Learclm 


Achelous-     Alpheus-       Peneus-     Inachus     Proicus      Doris-      Metis-     Clymene-    Mlhra-     Calyp* 
Calliope       Arctkusn        Gtea  Nereus     Jupiter        lapetus         Atlas         Ulyssc 


Daphne          lo 


Minerva 


Pleiades     JAi/in-J 

mfxitrite-tlcptMM  Dions-Jupiter  Arethusa  Galntea- Acis  Peleus-77:t7/>  C/j'w/f«^-Apoilo      Mcicu 
Triton  l',->:ns  Achilles 

J  upiter-^-1  >iti->pc-'L\c\\s-Dirce     Tantalus 


Zethus  Amphio 

J  upiter-Z,crfVr-Tyndareus 


Pelops 
Atreus 


Heliades     Phaeton 

Priam-/Xn 


Helen  Castor  Pollux  Cfyttfmnettra-AgnmeaiRon  Mer.elaus-//f/t?w 


Iphigenia 
4O2 


;     Orestes 


Hector- 


CAL    TABLE. 


Pontus 

I 
Phorcys 


Charon     Kris     Somnas     Mors 
Morpheus 


Bellona     Sthen}     EuryaL:    Jlfedusa-Neptune 


'.ros 


' 


Pegasus     Polyphemus 


routes  Steropes  Arges  Briareus  Cottus  Gyes    Typhoeus   Enceladus    Antaeus  Harpies  Tityus  Nereus 

Hydra     Cerberus     Chimaera 

Nemean  Lion     Sphinx 


Tluilia           Euterpe 

\ 
Urania           of  elf 

\ 
tineite           Terpsichore 

Polyhymnia 

Erato 

Triton 

\\-Mcdiisu     ilct'C- 

•      i 

nplKtcs    Cercyon 


Epaphus 


ta    Belus 


v/a-Cadnms  Cilix  Phoenix  Eurypa-]l\piter     Pygmalion  Dido-Sych&us  Danaus  ^Egyptus 

Danaides-yt  Sons 

M  .  . 
Acnsius       Celeus-  Cassiopeia 


Setnele-    Polvlorus    Sarpedon     Rhadamanthus    Minos 
i,     j,cr  H 

iheus  Labdacus  1Amo*~Pasif>kat  . 

i.  Danae-Jupitcr 

Laius  Jacasta  .•E-eus-/£Mni  I 

A  >  laarte  Pcrseus-.4  ndromeda 


Polynices     Antigo>:c     /s  incus 


( 'lyli--     I 

Jupiter      Teuc-r 

nar(1anus-/W.vr 


Hippolytus 


Alcacus  Electryon  Slhenelus 

I  i 

Amphitryon-.-J/cv/«v/f -Jupiter     Eurystheus 


Iphicles 
lolaus 


-/V«c/r>/c-Ulj  'sses      I 
an    Telemachuz 


I 

A  dmi-tf 
CEneus-.  -\!tlura 


C*py*-T**mu  Hercules-  Deianeira      Meleaget 

Anchises-^V««j 

I 

!  \\\\vn\K,-Aurora      /Eneas  Silvia     lulus 
Ajax  Numitor 

7/,-LMars 

! 

Remus     Romulus 


Paris    .V.-.V v     Cassandra     Politcs     ro[y.\-ena      I  ).;i,ilmljus  //<•/,•;/ 


INDEX   TO.  POETICAL   QUOTATIONS. 


Addison,  24,  49,  83,  85,  165,  172,  173. 

.Kschylus,  246. 

Akenside,  163. 

Apollonius,  126. 

Apollonius  Rhodius,  181,  269. 

Arion,  158. 

Aristophanes,  15. 

Arnold,  Edwin,  ill,  112,  114. 

Arnold,  Matthew,  74. 

Beaumont  and  Fletcher,  300. 

Bion,  1 08,  no. 

Boycsen,  97,   137. 

Browning,  E.  B.,  22,  108,  137. 

Bryant,  41,  43,  58,  94,  145,  153,  172, 
211,  305,  315,  318,  319,  320,  321, 
323,  324,  325,  326,  328,  329,  336, 
338,  344,  345.  346,  349,  352,  354, 
355,  357,  358>  359- 

Byron,  49,  91,  93,  116,  206. 

Catullus,  226,  255,  257,  259,  306. 

Chapman,  149. 

Coluthus,  308,  312. 

Conington,  41,  51,  64,  142,  193,  202, 
213,  224,  333,  360,  361,  362,  363, 
364,  365,  366,  367,  369,  370,  373, 
376,  377- 

Cornwall,  184. 

Cowper,  131,  156,  308. 

Croxall,  177,  178. 

Darwin,  123,  187,  218,  219,  228,  230. 

Drvden,  35,  37,  44,  70,  161,  168,  169, 
208. 

Elton,  12,  15,  21,  29,  33,  45,  52,  108, 
no,  136,  138,  154,  171,  220,  241, 
255,  267,  269,  271,  307,  308,  310, 
312,  339. 

Emerson,  297. 

Euripides,  1 66,  229,  311,  315,  316. 

Eusden,  118. 

Flaccus,  52,  220,  269,  271. 


Fletcher,  38. 

Francklin,  169,  232,  234,  236,  280, 
281,  282,  283,  285,  286,  287,  288, 
290,  33'- 

Frere,  15. 

Goldsmith,  134. 

Gray,  179. 

Hemans,  60,  98. 

H.  H.  (Helen  Hunt  Jackson),  73. 

Hesiod,  15,  21,  29,  33,  154,  229,  339. 

Holmes,  330. 

Homer,  23,  39,  41,  43,  58,  94,  145, 
147,  149,  153,  156,  161,  167,  168, 
172,  211,  292,  297,  305,  315,  ^iS, 
319,  320,  321,  323,  324,  325,  326, 
328,  329,  336,  338,  344,  345,  346, 

349,  352,  354,  355,  357,  35»,  359- 
Homeric  Hymn,  190,  195. 
Horace,  27,  75,  278. 
Hunt,  114,  216,  341. 
Ingelow,  187,  194. 
Iriarte,  Tonias  de,  372. 
Keats,  67,  90,  98,  105,  119,  120,  134, 

149,  176,  179,  192,  301,  303,  304. 
Eandon,  113. 

Longfellow,  27,  88,  99,  107. 
Lowell,  23,  64,  79,  i.?  i. 
Lucan,  214. 
Macaulay,  130,  279. 
Martinez  de  la  Rosa,  177. 
Melanippides,  73. 
Meleager,  94,  265. 
Meredith,  Ow<.-n,  72. 
Milton,  144,  163,  238. 
Moore,  16,  71,  72,  193,  .'7s 
Morris  97,   100,   IOI,   no,   123.   u;. 

128,  i;i.  iS;.   194,  235,  248,  252, 

MoBchos,  45,  137. 
Nonnus,  171. 


405 


406 


INDEX   TO  POETICAL    QUOTATIONS. 


Onomacritus,  267,  269,  271. 

Orphic  Argonautics,  266. 

Orphic  Hymn,  188. 

Ovid,   12,  35,  37,  44,   70,   118,  172, 

173.  177,  I78»  208,  25S>  298.  299. 
Pike,  61. 
Pindar,  17,  168. 
Pitt,  163,  196,  205. 
Pope,  23,  39,  57,  77,  147,  156,  167, 

1 68,  239,  292,  298,  299. 
Potter,  166,  229,  246,  311,  315,  316. 
Prior,  68,  143,  148,  174,  243,  283. 
Quintus  Smyrnreus,  307. 
St.  John,  242,  244. 
Saxe,  62,  63,  77,  84,  119,  160,253,  255. 
Schiller,  121,  238. 
Scott,  165. 
S.  G.  B.,  238. 
Shakespeare,  44,  7°>  139- 
Shelley,  55,  103,  241. 
Simonides,  241. 
Somerville,  90. 


Sophocles,  169,  232,  234,  236,  280, 
281,  282,  283,  285,  286,  287,  288, 

290,  331- 
Southey,  91. 
Spencer,  105. 
Spenser,  59,  82. 
Statius,  136,  138. 
Swift,  75. 
Tennyson,  59,  80,  105,  306,  307,  331, 

339.  359- 

Theocritus,  216,  310,  341. 

Timocreon  of  Rhodes,  159. 

Virgil,  41,  51,  64,  131,  142,  160,  161, 
163,  168,  169,  182,  193,  196,  202, 
205,  213,  224,  333,  360,  361,  362, 
363,  364,  365,  366,  367,  369,  370, 

373.  374,  376,  377- 
Warton,  182. 
Wordsworth,   33,   65,   88,    223,   273, 

295,  3i6,  3!7- 
Worsley,  87. 
Young,  202. 


GLOSSARY   AND    INDEX. 


AB-SYR'TUS.  Son  of  King  /Eetes  of 
Colchis ;  slain  by  Medea,  271. 

A-BY'DUS.  A  city  of  Asia  Minor; 
the  home  of  Leander,  Ili-n6. 

A-CH/E'US.  Grandson  of  Hellen, 
and  ancestor  of  the  Achaians,  38. 

A-CHA'I-ANS.  Inhabitants  of  the 
province  of  Achaia,  38. 

A-CHA'TES.  Friend  and  inseparable 
companion  of  ^Eneas,  366,  367. 

ACH-E-LO'US.  River  in  Greece,  bear- 
ing the  name  of  its  god,  232. 

ACH-E-MEN'I-DES.  Ulysses'  sailor, 
rescued  from  Polyphemus  by 
/Eneas,  365. 

ACH'E-RON.  i.  River  in  Hades,  161 ; 
Ulysses  visits,  350;  ^Eneas  crosses, 
372.  2.  Father  of  Furies,  163. 

A-CHII/LES.  Son  of  Peleus  and 
Thetis,  314-316;  surrenders  Bri- 
seis,  318,  319;  the  Greeks  appeal 
to,  323-325 ;  slays  Hector,  326- 
329;  death,  330;  in  Happy  Isles, 
359 ;  father  of  Pyrrhus,  361 ;  sig- 
nificance, 394,  395. 

A'cis.  Youth  loved  by  Galatea,  and 
slain  by  Polyphemus,  341. 

A-CRIS'I-US.  King  of  Argos,  and 
father  of  Danae,  240,  241,  249; 
significance,  390,  391. 

A-CROP'O-LIS.  Hill  in  Athens,  the 
site  of  the  Parthenon  and  Theseus' 
temple,  262. 

AC-TVE'ON.  Hunter  changed  to  a  stag 
by  Diana,  100,  101. 

AD  ME'TE.  Daughter  of  Eurystheus; 
covets  Hippolyte's  girdle,  223. 

AD-ME'TUS.  King  of  Thessaly,  served 
by  Apollo,  and  saved  from  death  by 
Alcestis,  64,  65  ;  Hercules  restores 


Alcestis  to,  230 ;  one  of  the  Argo- 
nauts, 266;  in  Calydonian  Hunt, 
275 ;  significance,  386. 

A-DO'NIS.  Hunter  loved  by  Venus 
and  slain  by  a  boar,  108-110;  sig- 
nificance, 195,  389. 

A-DRAS'TUS.  King  of  Argos;  his 
horse  Arion,  153;  father  of  Hippo- 
damia,  260;  sends  expedition 
against  Thebes,  287. 

JE'A-cus.  One  of  the  three  judges  of 
the  dead  in  Hades,  163. 

AL-&'A..  Island  inhabited  by  Circe 
and  visited  by  Ulysses,  347-350. 

.^E-E'TES.  King  of  Colchis,  father  of 
Medea  and  Absyrtus,  268,  271 ; 
brother  of  Circe,  347;  significance, 
392. 

^E-GE'AN  SEA.  Delos  chained  in, 
62;  Arion  borne  by  dolphins  in, 
82,  83 ;  named  after  ^Egeus,  259. 

^-GE'us.  King  of  Athens;  father 
of  Theseus,  250,  252,  253 ;  drowns 
himself,  259;  significance,  391. 

/E'GIS.  Shield  or  breastplate  of 
Minerva  and  Jupiter,  58 ;  loaned  to 
Perseus,  243 ;  bears  Medusa's  head, 
249. 

jE-Gls'THUS.  Murderer  of  Agamem- 
non ;  slain  by  Orestes,  336. 

yEc'LE.  One  of  the  Heliades; 
changed  to  a  poplar  tree,  87. 

.  r'.-cYr'rrs.  Brother  of  Danaus,  166. 

/E-NE'A-O^:.  City  which  ^Eneas 
proposed  to  found  in  Thrace,  363. 

/E-NE'AS.  Son  of  Venus  and  An- 
chises,  III;  Eneas'  descendants, 
140 ;  worship  introduced  into  Italy 
by,  198 ;  hero  of  Virgil's  /Eneid, 


407 


408 


GLOSSARY  AND  INDEX. 


-NE'AS  SIL'VI-A.     Son  of  ^Eneas; 
founder  of  Alba  Longa,  377. 
-NE'ID.     Virgil's  epic  poem  on  the 
adventures  of  ^Eneas,  374. 

l,l-A.  I.  Same  as  ^Eolian  Islands. 
2.  In  Asia  Minor,  near  ^Egean  Sea, 
214. 

y£-o'Li-AN  ISLANDS.  The  home  of 
/Eolus,  god  of  the  winds,  213,  346  ; 
supposed  to  be  Lipari  Islands,  213. 

yE-o'Ll-AN  RACE.  Descendants  of 
^Eolus,  son  of  Hellen,  38. 

^E'o-LUS.  I.  God  of  the  winds,  213- 
215;  Juno's  bargain  with,  266;  gift 
to  Ulysses,  346;  destruction  of 
^Eneas'  fleet,  365 ;  significance, 
400.  2.  Son  of  Hellen,  founder  of 
the  ^Eolian  race,  38. 

.(Es-cu-LA'pi-us.  Son  of  Apollo  and 
Coronis,  63,  64;  Machaon,  son  of, 
331 ;  significance,  387. 

yE'soN.  Father  of  Jason,  263 ;  reju- 
venated by  Medea,  273. 

yE'THER.  God  of  light,  13;  de- 
throned, 17. 

^E'THRA.  Princessof  Trcezene,  250; 
mother  of  Theseus,  253 ;  Helen  in- 
trusted to,  260;  significance,  391. 

^ET'NA.  Volcano  in  Sicily,  183;  the 
tomb  of  Enceladus,  24 ;  forge  of 
Vulcan,  145,  148,  326;  Ceres'  visit 
to,  187. 

^E-TO'LI-A.  Country  between  Epirus 
and  Locris,  275. 

AF'RI-CA.  Hercules' visit  to, 226, 227. 

AFTERTHOUGHT.  Name  given  to 
Epimetheus,  25. 

AG-A-MEM'NON.  Chief  of  the  expe- 
dition against  Troy,  314-319;  re- 
turn of,  336 ;  troops  of,  361 ;  signifi- 
cance, 394. 

A-GA'VE.  Mother  of  Pentheus ;  in- 
furiated by  Bacchus,  slays  her  son, 
182. 

A-GE'NOR.  Father  of  Europa,  Cad- 
mus, Cilix,  Phcenix,  44-47. 

AG-LA'IA.  One  of  the  Graces;  an 
attendant  of  Venus,  105. 

A-I'DES.  Same  as  Pluto;  signifi- 
cance, 401. 

A-I-DO'NEUS.  Same  as  Pluto,  god  of 
the  Infernal  Regions,  159. 

A'jAX.  Greek  hero  in  Trojan  war, 
314;  Patroclus'  corpse  recovered 
by,  328;  insanity  of,  330. 


AL'BA  LON'GA.  City  in  Italy  founded 
by  ^Eneas  Silvia,  377. 

AL-CES'TIS.  Wife  of  Admetus ;  dies 
to  save  his  life,  65 ;  restored  by 
Hercules,  230. 

AL-CI'DES.  Same  as  Hercules,  216; 
lion  skin  of,  220 ;  Deianeira  ac- 
companies, 234 ;  Deianeira's  charm 
for,  236 ;  pose  of,  239. 

AL-CIM'E-DE.  Queen  of  lolcus; 
mother  of  Jason,  263. 

AL-CIN'O-US.  Phreacian  king,  enables 
Ulysses  to  reach  Ithaca,  355. 

AL-CIP'PE.  Daughter  of  Mars;  car- 
ried off  by  Halirrhothius,  139. 

ALC-ME'NE.  Wife  of  Jupiter,  and 
mother  of  Hercules,  28,  216;  sig- 
nificance, 389. 

A-LEC'TO.  One  of  the  Furies,  163; 
sent  by  Juno  to  kindle  war  between 
vEneas  and  the  Latins,  373. 

A-LEC'TRY-ON.  Servant  of  Mars; 
changed  to  a  cock,  1 06,  107. 

AL-PHE'US.  I.  River  of  Peloponne- 
sus ;  dammed  to  clean  Augean 
stable,  221.  2.  The  river  god  who 
pursued  Arethusa,  190-193. 

AL-TH^'A.  Mother  of  Meleager,  275, 
276. 

AM-AL-THE'A.  Goat  which  nursed 
Jupiter,  21. 

AM-A-SE'NUS.  River  over  which 
Metabus  flung  Camilla,  373. 

A-MA'TA.  Wife  of  Latinus,  372 ; 
driven  mad  by  Alecto,  373  ;  suicide 
of,  376. 

AM'A-ZONS.  Nation  of  warlike  wo- 
men; Hercules  visits,  224;  Theseus 
visits,  259;  Bellerophon  visits,  295 ; 
Queen  of  the,  329. 

AM-BRO'SI-A.  Celestial  food  used  by 
the  gods,  41 ;  gods  deprived  of, 
84. 

AM'MON.  Temple  of  Jupiter  in  Libya, 
48. 

A'MOR.  Same  as  Eros,  Cupid,  etc.; 
god  of  love,  13;  son  of  Venus  and 
Mars,  107. 

AM-PHI'ON.  Son  of  Jupiter  and  An- 
tiope;  musician;  King  of  Thebes, 
80-82. 

AM-PHI-TRI'TE.  Same  as  Salacia, 
queen  of  the  sea;  wife  of  Neptune, 
154, 158;  train  of,  155 ;  significance, 
397- 


GLOSSARY  AXD  IXDEX. 


409 


AN-CHI'SES.  Husband  of  Venus,  1 1 1 ; 
father  of  yEneas,  360-562 ;  proph- 
ecy recalled  by,  364;  death  of,  365  ; 
death  anniversary  of,  369;  ^Eneas' 
visit  to,  370-372. 

AN-CI'LE.  Shield  of  Mars,  guarded 
by  the  Salii  in  Rome,  143. 

AN-DR.E'MOX.  Husband  of  Dryope; 
saw  her  changed  to  a  tree,  298. 

AN-DROM'A-CHE.  Wife  of  Hector; 
parting  of  Hector  and,  321-323; 
grief  of,  328  ;  captivity  of,  365. 

AN-DROM'E-UA.  Daughter  of  Celeus 
and  Cassiopeia ;  saved  by  Perseus, 
246-249;  significance,  391. 

AN-T/E'I;S.  Giant  son  of  Gaea;  de- 
fender of  the  Pygmies;  slain  by  Her- 
cules, 227,  228. 

AN-TE'I-A.  Wife  of  Prcetus ;  accuses 
Bellerophon  falsely,  291 ;  signifi- 
cance, 393. 

AN'TE-ROS.  God  of  passion,  107, 
1 08 ;  son  of  Venus  and  Mars,  140. 

AN-TIG'O-NE.  Daughter  of  CEdipus 
and  Jocasta;  buried  alive,  285-288; 
significance,  393. 

AN-TIN'O-US.  One  of  Penelope's  suit- 
ors; slain  by  Ulysses,  358. 

AN-TI'O-PE.  Wife  of  Jupiter;  mother 
of  Amphion  and  Zethus ;  perse- 
cuted by  Dirce,  80. 

A-PHA'RE-US.  Father  of  Castor's 
murderer,  279. 

APH-RO-DI'TE.  Same  as  Venus,  Di- 
one,  etc.,  103,  105 ;  significance, 

399- 

A-POL'LO.  Same  as  Phoebus,  Sol, 
and  Helios,  61-91  ;  god  of  the  sun, 
music,  poetry,  and  medicine,  55  '•> 
Diana's  brother,  93  ;  Niobe's  sons 
slain  by,  94;  Mars  ami  Venus  seen 
by,  106,  107;  Mercury  steals  cattle 
of,  132-134;  giants  slain  by,  139; 
walls  built  by,  151,  152;  Marpessa 
claimed  by,  155;  Vesta  loved  by, 
iq.8  ;  Janus,  son  of,  205  ;  oracles  of, 
280,281;  steed  of,  294;  Cassandra 
loved  by,  310;  Chryses  appeals  to, 
318,319;  Ulysses  incurs  anger  of, 
354;  significance,  386,  390,  393, 
396,  398. 

AQ'UI-LO.  West  wind,  son  of  /Golu 
and  Aurora,  213,  215. 

A-RACH'NE.  Minerva's  needlework 
contest  with,  58,  59. 

26 


AR-CA'DI-A.  Province  of  Pelopon- 
nesus, 221,  275 ;  Mercury's  birth- 
place, 131. 

AR'CAS.  Son  of  Jupiter  and  Callisto ; 
constellation  of  the  Little  Bear,  52. 

A-RE-O-PA-GI'TVE.  Judges  of  the 
criminal  court  of  Athens,  140. 

A-RE-OP'A-GUS.  Hill  near  Athens; 
site  of  the  Parthenon,  140. 

A'RES.  Same  as  Mars,  138;  signifi- 
cance, 400. 

A-RE'TE.  I.  Goddess  of  virtue;  takes 
charge  of  Hercules,  218-220.  2. 
Wife  of  Alcinous  ;  mother  of  Nau- 
sicaa,  355. 

AR-E-THU'SA.  Nymph  of  Diana; 
changed  to  a  fountain,  190-193. 

AR'GEa(Sheet-lightning).  A  Cyclop; 
son  of  Uranus  and  Gaea,  18. 

AR'GO.  Vessel  in  which  Jason  set 
sail  in  search  of  the  golden  fleece, 
266-274;  significance,  392. 

AR-GO-NAC'TIC  EXPEDITION  in 
search  of  golden  fleece,  154;  Zetes 
and  Calais  in,  215 ;  Hercules  in, 
230;  Meleagerin,  275;  significance, 

39L  392. 

AR'GO-NAI'TS.  Name  given  to  Jason 
and  crew,  267-271 ;  significance, 
392. 

AK'GOS.  City  in  Argolis,  dedicated 
to  Juno,  52-54;  Eurystheus,  king 
of,  218-220;  Acrisius,  king  of, 
240,  249 ;  Adrastus,  king  of,  260, 
287;  Proetus,  king  of,  291;  Aga- 
memnon's return  to,  336 ;  signifi- 
cance, 389,  390. 

AR'GTS.  i.  Name  of  myriad-eyed 
giant  who  watched  lo,  135-137; 
significance,  385.  2.  Name  of 
Ulysses'  faithful  hound,  357. 

A-KI-AD'NK.  Daughter  of  Minos; 
Theseus  aided  by,  256,  257;  de- 
serted by  Theseus,  179,  257;  mar- 
ries Bacchus,  181 ;  significance, 
391. 

A-KI'ON.  I.  Winded  steed  ;  the  off- 
spring of  Neptune  and  C'eres,  153. 
2.  Musician;  thrown  into  the  sea 
]>v  pirates,  >aved  by  a  dolphin, 
82,  83. 

AR-I--I  i -'i  s.  Youth  who  indirectly 
causes  Eurydice's  death,  76. 

AR' IK-MIS.  Same  ns  1  )iar.a.  goddess 
of  the  moon  and  the  chase,  93,  97. 


4io 


GLOSSARY  AND  JNDEX. 


AS-CAL'A-PHUS.  Spirit  in  Hades  who 
saw  Proserpina  eat  pomegranate 
seeds,  195. 

A'si-A  MI'NOR.  WestofAsia;  Bac- 
chus' visit  to,  176;  Vesta's  shrine 
in,  198;  Thetis'  flight  from,  326. 

AS-KLE'PI-OS.  SameasyEsculapius; 
son  of  Apollo  and  Coronis,  63. 

AS-TY'A-NAX.  Infant  son  of  Hector 
and  Andromache,  321. 

AT-A-LAN'TA.  Maiden  who  takes 
part  in  Calydonian  Hunt  and  races 
with  Milanion  or  Hippomenes,  275- 
278 ;  significance,  392. 

ATH'A-MAS.  King  of  Thebes;  father 
of  Phryxus  and  Helle,  265 ;  Ino  in 
madness  slain  by,  174;  significance, 

391- 

A-THE'NE.  Same  as  Minerva,  55; 
tutelary  goddess  of  Athens,  57  >  sig- 
nificance, 395. 

A-THE'NI-ANS.  Inhabitants  of  Athens, 
215;  tribute  of,  253,  256;  ingrati- 
tude of,  262. 

ATH'ENS.  Minerva's  festivals  at,  60; 
tribunal  at,  139,  140 ;  contest  for, 
152;  yEgeus,kingof,  250;  Theseus' 
arrival  at,  252,  253 ;  Ariadne  elopes 
to,  256 ;  Castor  and  Pollux'  visit  to, 
260;  Theseus,  king  of,  262;  Peleus, 
king  of,  305. 

AT'LAS.  i.  Mountains.  2.  One  of 
lapetus'  sons,  25;  daughters  of,  98; 
heavens  supported  by,  227-229 ; 
Perseus  petrifies,  244-246;  signifi- 
cance, 379. 

AT'RO-POS.  One  of  the  Fates ;  cuts 
the  thread  of  life,  165. 

AT'TI-CA.  Province  of  Greece ;  Ce- 
crops  founds  city  in,  57;  oppres- 
sion of,  255  ;  shores  of,  259. 

AU-GE'AS.  King  of  Elis ;  his  stables 
were  cleansed  by  Hercules,  221-223. 

AU'LIS.  Port  in  Bceotia,  the  meeting- 
place  of  the  Greek  expedition  against 
Troy,  312,  315. 

AU-RO'RA.  Same  as  Eos,  goddess 
of  dawn ;  attendant  of  Apollo,  85, 
107;  jealousy  of,  7°  \  Tithonus 
loved  by,  90;  ^olus'  wife,  213. 

AUS'TER.  Southwest  wind,  same  as 
Notus ;  a  son  of  /Eolus  and  Aurora, 
215. 

AU-TOM'E-DON.  Achilles'  charioteer, 
.328. 


AV'EN-TINE.  One  of  the  seven  hills 
on  which  Rome  is  built,  226. 

A-VER'NUS.  Lake  near  Naples  ;  the 
entrance  to  Hades  in  Italy,  160; 
yEneas'  visit  to,  370. 

BAB'Y-LON.  The  home  of  Pyramus 
and  Thisbe,  117. 

BAC-CHA-NA'LI-A.  Festivals  in  honor 
of  Bacchus,  182. 

BAC-CHAN'TES.  Female  followers  of 
Bacchus,  176,  182;  Orpheus  slain 
by,  79,  80. 

BAC'CHUS.  Same  as  Dionysius,  god 
of  wine  and  revelry;  son  of  Jupiter 
and  Semele,  171-182;  Vulcan  vis- 
ited by,  147;  Ariadne  rescued  by, 
257;  tutor  of,  300;  gift  from,  306. 

BAU'CIS.  i.  The  mortal  who  showed 
hospitality  to  Jupiter  and  Mercury  ; 
wife  of  Philemon,  43,44.  2.  Father 
of  Dryope  (changed  to  a  tree),  298. 

BEL-LER'O-PHON.  Demigod;  mounts 
Pegasus  and  slays  the  dread  Chi- 
msera,  291-296;  significance,  393, 

394- 

BEL-LO'NA.   Goddess  of  war ;  attend- 
ant of  Mars,  138. 
BER-E-NI'CE.    Queen  whose  hair  was 

changed  into  a  comet,  384. 
BER'O-E.     Nurse  of  Semele,  whose 

form  Juno  assumes  to  arouse  Sem- 

ele's  jealousy,  171,  172. 
BI'TON.     Brother  of  Cleobis ;  draws 

his  mother  to  the  temple,  54. 
BCE-O'TI-A.  Province  in  Greece, whose 

principal  city  was  Thebes,  47,  280. 
BO'RE-AS.     North  wind;  son  of^Eo- 

lus  and  Aurora ;   kidnaps  Orithyia, 

213-215;  sons  of,  267. 
BOS'PO-RUS.       Channel     connecting 

Black   Sea  and  Sea  of  Marmora ; 

crossed  by  lo,  268. 
BRASS  AGE.     Third  age  of  world,  35. 
BRI-A'RE-US.     One  of  the  Centim- 

ani ;  son  of  Uranus  and  Gsea,  18; 

umpire,  152. 
BRI-SE'IS.   Captive  of  Achilles  during 

Trojan  war;  claimed  by  Agamem- 
non, 318,  319,  324;  significance, 394. 
BRON'TES  (Thunder).  A  Cyclop;  son 

of  Uranus  and  Gtea,  18. 
BRU'TUS.     Unborn  soul  of  Roman 

hero,  seen  by  Anchises  in  Hades, 

372- 


GLOSSARY  AXD  JXDEX. 


411 


CA'CUS.  Son  of  Vulcan,  148;  giant 
slain  by  Hercules  on  Mount  Aven- 
tine,  226;  significance,  386. 

CAD'MUS.  Brother  of  Europa;  foun- 
der of  Thebes,  45-48  ;  husband  of 
Harmonia,  107;  daughter  of.  171; 
dragon-tooth  seed  of,  268 ;  signifi- 
cance, 386,  390,  393. 

CA-DU'CE-US.  Wand  given  to  Mer- 
cury by  Apollo,  134. 

C/E'SAR.  Unborn  soul  of  Roman  hero, 
seen  by  Anchises  in  Hades,  372. 

CAL'A-IS.  Son  of  Boreas  and  Ori- 
thyia,  215. 

CAL'CHAS.  Soothsayer  of  the  Greeks 
during  the  Trojan  war,  315. 

CAL-LI'O-PE.  One  of  the  nine  Muses, 
loved  by  Apollo,  90;  mother  of 
Orpheus,  75. 

CAL-LIS'TO.  Maiden  loved  by  Jupiter; 
changed  into  a  bear  by  Juno ;  the 
Great  Bear,  52. 

CAL'Y-DOX.  Home  of  Meleager;  site 
of  Calydonian  Hunt,  275. 

CAL-Y-DO'M-AN  HUNT.  Organized 
by  Meleager  to  slay  a  boar,  275-279. 

CA-LYP'SO.  Xymph  who  detained 
Ulysses  on  Ogygia  seven  years, 
354;  significance,  395. 

CA-MIL'LA.  Volscian  maiden;  fights, 
and  is  slain  by,  JEnea.5,  373,  376 ; 
dedicated  to  Diana,  374. 

CA-MIL'LUS.  Unborn  soul  of  Roman 
hero,  seen  by  Anchises  in  Hades, 
372. 

CAM'PUS  MAR'TI-US.  Roman  exer- 
cising grounds  sacred  to  Mars,  143. 

CAN'CER.  Crab  which  attacked  Her- 
cules to  defend  the  Hydra ;  a  con- 
stellation, 221. 

CAP'I-TOL.  Temple  dedicated  to 
Jupiter  in  Rome,  48. 

CAR'THAGE.  A  city  in  Africa,  built 
by  Dido,  visited  by  /Eneas,  367. 

CAS-SAN'DRA.  Daughter  of  Priam ; 
her  prophecies,  though  true,  \\vre 
always  disbelieved,  310,  364;  cap- 
tivity of,  361. 

CAS-SI-O-PE'IA.  Mother  of  Androm- 
eda, 246 ;  a  constellation,  249 ;  sig- 
nificance, 391. 

CAS'TOR.  One  of  the  Dioscuri  or 
Gemini,  278,  279  ;  rescue  of  Helen 
by,  260 ;  Argonauts  joined  by,  266 ; 
Calydonian  Hunt  joined  by,  275. 


CAU-CA'SI-AN  MOUNTAINS.  Same  as 
Caucasus;  Prometheus  chained  to, 
28,  227. 

CE'CROPS.  Founder  of  Athens,  57; 
descendants  of,  255. 

CE-L.«'NO.  One  of  the  Harpies; 
frightens  .Eneas  by  prophesying  a 
famine,  365. 

CE'LE-US.  i.  King  of  Eleusis ;  father 
of  Triptolemus/i88.  2.  Father  of 
Andromeda;  significance,  391. 

CEN'TAURS.  Children  of  Ixion,  half 
man,  half  horse;  Chiron,  218,  263, 
314;  Hercules  fights,  221 ;  battle  of, 
230,  260 ;  Nessus,  234-236 ;  sig- 
nificance, 391,  397. 

CEN-TIM'A-M  (Hundred-handed). 
Three  sons  of  Uranus  and  Gaea, 
17,  18. 

CEPH'A-LUS.  Hunter  loved  by  Pro- 
cris  and  Aurora,  70,  71, 90;  signifi- 
cance, 387. 

CER'BE-RUS.  Three-headed  dog  which 
guarded  the  entrance  of  Hades,  76, 
77,  160;  Hercules  captures,  229, 
260;  significance,  401. 

CER'CY-ON.  Son  of  Vulcan,  148 ;  en- 
countered by  Theseus,  252. 

CE-RE-A'U-A.  Festivals  in  honor  of 
Ceres,  goddess  of  agriculture,  196. 

CE'RES.  Same  as  Demeter,  god- 
dess of  agriculture  and  civilization, 
159,  183-197;  Cronus  disgorges, 
22;  Psyche  consults,  127,  128; 
Neptune  loves,  153;  Pelops*  shoul- 
der eaten  by,  167;  significance,  396, 

397- 

CER-Y-NE'A.    Town  of  Achaia,  221. 

CER-Y-NE'IAN  STAG.  Stag  taken  by 
Hercules;  one  of  his  labors,  221. 

CES'TUS.  Venus'  magic,  love-inspir- 
ing girdle,  130,  308. 

CE'YX.  King  of  Thessaly;  ship- 
wrecked, and  changed  with  his  wife 
Halcyone  into  birds,  211,  212. 

CHA'OS.  The  first  of  all  divinities, 
who  ruled  over  confusion,  12,  13; 
ejection  of,  17;  daughter  of,  57. 

CHAR'I-TKS.  The  three  Graces ;  at- 
tendants of  Venus,  105. 

CHA'KON.    The  boatman  who  ferries 
the  souls  over  Acheron,  161 
ferried  by,  372  ;   significance,  397. 

CHA-RYH'DIS.  Whirlpool  near  the 
coast  of  Sicily,  352,  353,  365. 


4-1  2 


GLOSSARY  AND  INDEX. 


CHI-M^'RA.     Monster  slain  by  Bel- 

lerophon,     292-296 ;     significance, 

394,  401. 
CHI'O-NE.     Daughter  of  Boreas  and 

Orithyia,  215. 
CHI'OS.     One  of  the  islands  of  the 

Archipelago,  99. 
CHI'RON.  Learned  Centaur,  218,263, 

266,  314;  death  of,  221. 
CHRY-SE'IS.     Daughter  of  Chryses; 

taken  by  Agamemnon,  318,  319. 
CHRY'SES.   Father  of  Chryseis;  priest 

of  Apollo ;  brings  a  plague  on  the 

Greek  camp,  318,  319. 
CI-CO'NI-ANS.    Inhabitants  of  Isma- 

rus,  visited  by  Ulysses,  337. 
CI-LIC'I-A.     Province  in  Asia  Minor, 

between  ^Eolia  and  Troas,  47. 
CI'LIX.     Brother  of  Europa ;  founder 

of  Cilicia,  45,  47. 
CIM-ME'RI-AN  SHORES.    Land  visited 

by  Ulysses  to  consult  Tiresias,  350. 
CIR'CE.     Sister  of  ^Eetes ;  sorceress 

who   changes    Ulysses'    men   into 

swine,  347-353;    significance,  395, 

396- 

CLE'O-BIS.  Brother  of  Biton  ;  a  de- 
voted son,  54. 

CLE-O-PA'TRA.  Daughter  of  Boreas 
and  Orithyia,  215. 

CLI'O.      One  of  the  nine  Muses,  88. 

CLO'THO.  One  of  the  Fates;  she 
spins  the  thread  of  life,  165. 

CLYM'E-NE.  i.  Wife  of  lapetus ;  an 
ocean  nymph,  25.  2.  Nymph  loved 
by  Apollo ;  mother  of  Phaeton,  83, 
87. 

CLYT-^M-NES'TRA.  Wife  of  Aga- 
memnon ;  slain  by  Orestes,  336  ; 
significance,  394. 

CJ.YT'I-E.  Maiden  who  loves  Apollo, 
and  is  changed  into  a  sunflower,  72. 

CO-CY'TUS.  River  in  Hades,  formed 
of  tears  of  the  condemned,  160, 
161. 

CCE'US.  One  of  the  Titans;  son  of 
Uranus  and  Gsea,  17. 

COL'CHI-AN  LAND.  Ram  bears 
Phryxus  to,  154;  Argonauts  arrive 
at,  268;  Argonauts  depart  from, 
269;  sailors  of,  271. 

COL'CHIS.  Land  in  Asia  ruled  by 
^Eetes,  where  the  golden  fleece  was 
kept,  265,  266;  return  from,  274. 

CO-LO'NUS.    Forest  sacred  to  Furies, 


where  CEdipus  vanished  in  a  storm, 
286. 

CO-LOS'SUS.  Statue  of  Apollo  in  the 
Island  of  Rhodes,  91. 

CON-SEN'TES.  Same  as  Pan,  god  of 
the  universe  and  of  nature,  300. 

CO'PRE-US.  Son  of  Pelops;  owner 
of  the  marvelous  horse  Arion,  153. 

CO'RA.  Same  as  Proserpina,  god- 
dess of  vegetation,  183;  signifi- 
cance, 396. 

COR'IMTH.  City  and  isthmus  be- 
tween Greece  proper  and  .the  Pelo- 
ponnesus,  152,  158,  294;  Sisyphus, 
king  o£  167,  291;  Sciron  at,  251; 
Polybus,  king  of,  280-282,  286. 

CO-RO'NA.  Constellation,  also  known 
as  Ariadne's  Crown,  181. 

CO-RO'NIS.  Maiden  loved  by  Apol- 
lo; mother  of  ^Esculapius,  62,  63; 
significance,  386,  389. 

CO'RUS.  Northwest  wind  ;  son  of 
^Eolus  and  Aurora,  213-215. 

COR-Y-BAN'TES.  Same  as  Curetes; 
Rhea's  priests,  21. 

COT'TUS.  One  of  the  Centimani ; 
son  of  Uranus  and  Gsea,  18. 

CRE'ON.  Father  of  Jocasta  and  of 
Megara,  219;  King  of  Thebes,  288. 

CRE'TAN  BULL.  Hercules  captures, 
223. 

CRETE.  Island  home  of  Minos,  223, 
253,  256;  Menelaus'  journey  to, 
312;  Eneas' sojourn  in, 364;  Zeus, 
king  of,  379. 

CRE-U'SA.  i.  Wife  of  y£neas;  killed 
in  attempting  to  fly  from  Troy,  361- 
363.  2.  Same  as  Glauce;  maiden 
loved  by  Jason,  273. 

CRI'US.  One  of  the  Titans  ;  son  of 
Uranus  and  Gsea,  17. 

CRO'NUS.  Same  as  Saturn ;  a  Titan 
who  rules  supreme  ;  father  of  Jupi- 
ter, 17-23,  25, 35 ;  daughters  of,  51, 
183,  198;  son  of,  159. 

CRU'MIS-SA.  Island  where  Neptune 
carried  Theophane ;  birthplace  of 
the  golden-fleeced  ram,  154- 

CU'M^.  Cave  where  the  Sibyl  gave 
her  prophecies,  370. 

CU'PID,  or  CU-PI'DO.  Same  as  Amor, 
god  of  love ;  son  of  Venus  and 
Mars,  107,  140;  growth  of,  108; 
darts  of,  112,  147,  367;  Psyche 
and,  121-130,  381, 


GLOSSARY  AND  INDEX. 


4*3 


CU-RE'TES.  Same  as  Corybantes; 
Rhea's  priests,  21. 

CY'A-NE.  River  which  tried  to  stop 
Pluto  when  he  kidnapped  Proser- 
pina, 186. 

CYB'E-LE.  Same  as  Rhea,  goddess 
of  the  earth,  20;  chariot  of,  278. 

CY-CLO'PES.  Three  children  of  Ura- 
nus and  Goea,  17,  18;  thunderbolts 
forged  by,  22,  64, 147;  Orion  visits 
the,  99;  Vulcan  and  the,  145;  Isl- 
and of  the,  339;  ^Eneas  warned 
against,  365  ;  significance,  385,  398. 

CY'CLOPS.      Polyphemus    the,  339- 

345.  365- 

CYC'NUS.  Intimate  friend  of  Phaeton, 
87. 

CYI.-LE'NE.  Mountain  upon  which 
Mercury  was  born? 131,  132. 

CYN'THI-A.  Same  as  Diana,  god- 
dess of  the  moon  and  the  chase, 

93.  96- 

CYN'THI-US.  Name  given  to  Apollo, 
god  of  the  sun  and  fine  arts,  01. 

CYP-A-RIS'SUS.  Friend  of  Apollo; 
turned  to  a  cypress  tree,  67. 

CY'PRUS.  Island  in  the  Mediterra- 
nean sacred  to  Venus,  105, 120, 123. 

CYTH-E-RE'A.  Name  given  to  Ve- 
nus, goddess  of  beauty,  love,  and 
laughter,  103. 

D/ED'A-LUS.  Architect  who  planned 
the  Cretan  Labyrinth,  253-255; 
inventor  of  sails,  214. 

DAN'A-E.  Maiden  visited  by  Jupiter 
as  a  golden  shower;  mother  of 
Perseus,  240-242;  significance,  379, 

39°.  397- 
I)A-NTA'I-DKS.    Daughters  of  Danaus, 

who  slay  their  husbands,  166,  167. 
])\N'A-US.     King  of  Argos;    father 

of  the  fifty  Danaides,  166. 
DAX'UBK.     River  of  Europe;   Medea 

slays  Absyrtus  near  its  mouth.  271. 
DAPH'NE.     Maiden  loved  by  Apollo, 

and  changed  into  a  laurel  tree,  68- 

70;   significance,  3<S7,  389,  39;. 
DAR'DA-NCS.    Ancient  king  of  Troy, 

who    gives    his  name   to   his   race, 

364;   mares  of,  215. 
DE-I-A-NF.I'RA.    Wife    of    Hercules, 

2^2-256;    causes    Hercules'   death 

by   using    the    Nessus    robe,   235. 

236;   significance,  390. 


DE-IPH'O-BUS.  Son  of  Priam  and 
Hecuba;  married  Helen  after  the 
death  of  Paris,  362. 

DE'LOS.  Floating  island;  birthplace 
of  Apollo  and  Diana,  62 ;  shrine  of 
Apollo  at,  91,363,  364;  significance, 

386.  396. 

DEL'PHI.  Shrine  of  Apollo,  famed  for 
its  oracles,  37,  47,  91 ;  Ceyx  visits, 
211;  CEdipus  consults  oracle  at, 281, 
282,  285,  290 ;  Orestes  at,  336. 

DEL'UGE.  Caused  by  Jupiter's  wrath, 
36 ;  slime  from,  65. 

DK-.ME'TER.  Same  as  Ceres;  god- 
dess of  agriculture,  183,  187;  sig- 
nificance, 396. 

DE'MI-OS  (Dread).  Attendant  or  son 
of  Mars,  138. 

DES'TI-NY.  One  of  the  ancient  deities 
not  subjected  to  Jupiter,  39. 

DEU-CA'LI-ON.  Only  male  survivor 
of  Deluge ;  father  of  Hellen,  37,  38. 

DI'A.  Maiden  loved  and  deserted  by 
Ixion,  king  of  the  Lapithae,  169; 
significance,  389. 

DI-A'XA.  Goddess  of  the  moon  and 
chase;  daughter  of  Jupiter  and  La- 
tona,  93-101 ;  birth  of,  62;  nymphs 
of,  70,  190;  arrows  of,  139;  Are- 
thusa  protected  by,  192 ;  CEneus 
neglects,  275  ;  Iphigenia  saved  by, 
316;  temple  of,  336 ;  Camilla  res- 
cued by,  373,  374;  significance, 
388,  396,  398. 

Dl'uo.  Queen  of  Tyre  and  Carthage ; 
loved  and  deserted  by  ^neas,  306- 
369 ;  vEneas  sees,  in  Hades,  372. 

DI-O-ME'DES.  I.  Greek  hero  during 
Trojan  war,  314;  recovers  I'atro- 
clus'  body,  328;  helps  Ulysses 
secure  the  Palladium,  332.  2. 
The  possessor  of  horses  taken  by 
Hercules,  223. 

Dl-o'NE.  i.  Name  given  to  Venus, 
goddess  of  beauty,  love,  laughter, 
etc..  103.  2.  Mother  of  Venus  by 
Jupiter;  goddess  of  moisture,  44. 

I)i  I-SYS'I-A.  Festivals  held  in 
Greece  in  honor  of  Hacchus,  182. 

Dl-O-NYS'l-US.  Same  as  H.icchus, 
god  of  wine  and  revelry,  1 74. 

Dl-OS-CU'RI.  Collective  n:im>  given 
to  Castor  and  Pollux,  2~^. 

DI-OS-CV'KI-A.  Ke-ti\:iK  in  honor 
of  Castor  and  Pollux,  279. 


GLOSSARY  AND  INDEX. 


DIR'CE.    Wife  of  Lycus  ;  bound  to  a 

bull  by  Amphion  and  Zethus,  80-82. 
Dis.     Same  as  Pluto,  god  of  Infernal 

Regions,  159,  370. 
DIS-COR'DI-A,  or  ERIS.     Goddess  of 

discord,    138;    she  appears    at  Pe- 

leus'  marriage  feast,  306. 
DO-UO'NA.     Temple   and   grove   sa- 
cred to  Jupiter,  48,  49,  266. 
DOL'PHIN.     Constellation,  82. 
DO'RI-AN    RACE.     Descendants    of 

Dorus,  38. 

DO'RIS.     Wifeof  Nereus,  154,  305. 
DO'RUS.    Son  of  Hellen ;  ancestor  of 

Dorian  race,  38. 
DREAMS.    Spirits  in  cave  of  Somnus; 

passed  out  through  gates  of  ivory 

and     horn,    210,    211;      Mercury, 

leader  of,  137. 
DREP'A-NUM.    Land  visited  by  y£ne- 

as,  where  Anchises  died,  365. 
DRY'A-DES.   Plant  nymphs,  supposed 

to  watch  over  vegetation,  297. 
DRY'O-PE.     Princess  changed  into  a 

tree,  298-300. 
DULT/NESS.      Obscure   deity  put  to 

flight  by  Minerva,  55,  57. 

EARTH.  ^Ether  and  Hemera  create 
the,  13;  divisions  of  the,  15;  realm 
of  the,  25;  the  mother  of  all,  38; 
oath  by  the,  172;  Antaeus,  son  of 
the,  228 ;  significance,  398. 

E'CHO.  Nymph  who  pined  for  love 
of  Narcissus ;  changed  to  a  voice, 
118,  119;  answers  Cephalus,  71; 
mocks  Ariadne,  179. 

EGG.   Earth  hatched  from  a  mythical, 

15- 

E'GYPT.  Gods  take  refuge  in,  24; 
lo  takes  refuge  in,  136;  Menelaus 
and  Helen  detained  in,  336. 

E-LEC'TRA.  Daughter  of  Agamem- 
non ;  saves  Orestes,  336. 

EL-EU-SIN'I-A.  Festivals  at  Eleusis, 
in  honor  of  Ceres  and  Proserpina, 
196. 

E-LEU'SIS.  City  in  Greece  visited 
by  Ceres  during  her  search  for 
Proserpina,  188,  196. 

E'LIS.  Province  of  the  Peloponne- 
sus ;  Alpheus  in,  193 ;.  Augeas,  king 
of,  221 ;  significance,  388. 

EL-PE'NOR.  Follower  of  Ulysses; 
dies  in  Island  of  ^Esea,  350. 


E-LYS'I-AN  FIELDS.  Abode  of  the 
blessed  in  Hades,  161,  163,  169; 
Cleobis  and  Biton  conveyed  to,  54 ; 
Adonis  conveyed  to,  no. 

EN-CEI/A-DUS.  Giant  defeated  by 
Jupiter;  buried  under  Mt.  ^Etna,24. 

EN-DYM'I-ON.  Youth  loved  by  Di- 
ana, who  carries  him  to  a  cave  on 
Mt.  Latmus,  96-98;  significance, 
388,  389,  396. 

EN'NA.  Plain  in  Sicily;  favorite  re- 
sort of  Proserpina,  183. 

E-NY'O.  Name  given  to  Bellona, 
goddess  of  war,  138. 

E'os.  Name  given  to  Aurora,  god- 
dess of  dawn,  72,  90;  jealousy  of, 
70,  71 ;  winds,  offspring  of,  213. 

EP'A-PHUS.  Son  of  Jupiter  and  lo  ; 
founder  of  Memphis,  136. 

EPH'E-SUS.  City  in  Asia  Minor 
sacred  to  Diana,  101. 

EPH-I-AL'TES.  Giant  son  of  Nep- 
tune, 154;  brother  of  Otus ;  im- 
prisons Mars,  139;  significance, 
400. 

E-PIG'O-NI.  Sons  of  the  seven  chiefs 
who  besieged  Thebes,  290. 

EP-I-ME'THEUS  (Afterthought).  Son 
of  lapetus,  25;  husband  of  Pandora, 

28-34,37- 

E-PI'RUS.  Country  visited  by  ^neas, 
who  meets  Andromache  there,  365. 

ER'A-TO.  One  of  the  Muses;  daugh- 
ter of  Jupiter  and  Mnemosyne,  90. 

ER'E-BUS.  God  of  darkness,  13; 
marries  his  mother,  Night,  13 ;  pro- 
genitor of  egg,  15;  dethroned,  17. 

E-RID'A-NUS.  River  into  whicli  Phae- 
ton fell  from  the  sun  chariot,  87; 
Hercules  consults  nymphs  of,  226. 

E-RIN'NY-ES.  Collective  name  given 
to  the  Furies,  163 ;  significance, 

393- 

E'RIS.  Same  as  Discordia,  goddess 
of  discord  and  strife,  138;  apple 
cast  by,  306. 

ER-I-SICH'THON.  An  unbeliever ; 
punished  by  famine,  197. 

E'ROS.  Same  as  Cupid,  107 ;  child  of 
Light  and  Day,  13  ;  arrows  of,  13, 
112;  egg  produces,  15?  causes 
man's  creation,  25;  man's  life  given 
by,  27. 

ER-Y-MAN'THUS.  Place  where  Her- 
cules slew  the  wild  boar,  221. 


GLOSSARY  A. YD  IXDEX. 


415 


ER-Y-THE'A.  Island  home  of  Gery- 
ones  ;  visited  by  Hercules,  226. 

E-TE'O-CI.ES.  Son  of  (Edipus  and 
Jocasta,  285  ;  reigns  one  year,  287 ; 
slain  by  his  brother,  288. 

E-THI-O'PI-A.  Country  visited  by 
Bacchus,  176. 

E-THI-O'PI-ANS.  Happy  race  of 
Africa,  south  of  the  river  Oceanus ; 
visited  by  the  gods,  16. 

EU-BCE'AN  or  EU-BO'IC  SEA.  Sea 
where  Hercules  cast  Lichas,  238. 

Ei'-M.^'cs.  Swineherd  visited  by 
Ulysses  on  his  return  to  Ithaca,  355, 
357;  Ulysses  aided  by,  358. 

EU-MEX'I-UES.  Collective  name  given 
to  Furies,  163 ;  forest  sacred  to, 
285 ;  significance,  393. 

EU-PHROS'Y-NE.  One  of  the  three 
Graces  or  Charites ;  attendant  of 
Venus.  105. 

Eu-RO'i'A.  Daughter  of  Agenor; 
wife  of  Jupiter,  44-48,  59;  mother 
of  Minos,  Rhadamanthus,  and  Sar- 
pedon,  45,  325  ;  significance,  386. 

EU-RO'TAS.  River  near  Sparta,  where 
Helen  bathed,  310. 

EI'RUS.  East  wind  ;  son  of  yEolus 
and  Aurora,  213-215. 

EU-RY'A-I.E.  One  of  the  three  ter- 
rible Gorgons,  242. 

Er-RY'A-Li's.  Youth  sent  with  Nisus 
to  warn  /Eneas  that  his  son  was  in 
danger,  374. 

EU-RY-CLE'A.  Nurse  of  Ulysses; 
recognizes  him  after  twenty  years' 
absence,  357;  Penelope  awakened 
by,  358. 

ET-RYD'I-CK.  Wife  of  Orpheus,  who 
seeks  her  in  Hades,  75~*°  >  signifi- 
cance, 387-389. 

Ei'-RYi/o-cnrs.  Leader  of  Ulysses' 
men,  347;  escaped  Circe's  spell, 
349;  Ulysses'  men  misled  by,  353. 

Er-RYX'o-ME.  Wife  of  Jupiter; 
mother  of  the  Graces,  105. 

Kr-RY.s'THEUS.  Hercules'  taskmas- 
ter; appointed  twelve  labors,  218- 
229. 

Er'RY-Ti's.  lole's  father;  visited 
twice  by  Hercules,  235. 

Er-TER'PE.  One  of  the  Muses;  pre- 
sided over  music,  88. 

KIX'INK  SKA.  S;iim-  a^  Pontus 
Euxinus,  or  the  Black  Sea,  15. 


E-VAX'DKR.  King  of  Tuscans  ;  ally 
of /Eneas ;  father  of  Pallas,  374, 375. 

E-VE'NUS.  Father  of  Marnessa; 
drowned  himself  in  river  ot  same 
name,  155  ;  Hercules  crosses,  234. 

FA' MA.  Attendant  of  Jupiter,  goddess 
of  fame,  41. 

FATES.  Three  sisters;  also  known 
as  Moerae  or  Parcse,  165. 

FAT'XA.  Wife  of  Faunus ;  a  rural 
divinity  of  the  Romans,  301. 

F.vr'xt's.  Rural  divinity  of  the  Ro- 
mans ;  husband  of  Fauna,  301. 

FLO'RA.  Goddess  of  flowers,  301, 
303;  wife  of  Zephyrus,  215,  301. 

FLO-RA'LI-A.  Festivals  in  May  in 
honor  of  Flora,  301. 

FORETHOUGHT.  Name  given  to 
Prometheus,  25. 

FOR-TU'NA.  j.  Goddess  of  fortune; 
an  attendantof  Jupiter,  41.  2.  God- 
dess of  plenty,  232. 

FO'KIM.  Chief  place  in  Rome  where 
public  matters  were  discussed,  142. 

FU'RIKS.  The  Eumenides,  or  aveng- 
ing deities,  163  ;  CEdipus  punished 
by,  286  ;  Orestes  pursued  by,  336. 

G/E'A.  Same  as  Tellus  and  Terra,  13; 
wife  of  Uranus,  15;  reign  of,  17; 
conspiracy  of,  1 8 ;  Typhoeus  created 
by,  23 ;  Enceladus  created  by,  24 ; 
Antivus,  son  of,  227;  Syrinx  pro- 
tected by,  300 ;  significance,  396. 

(l.vi.- A-I  i.' \.  i.  Nymph  loved  by 
Polyphemus  and  Acis,  341-343.  2. 
Statue  loved  by  Pygmalion,  who 
prays  Venus  to  give  it  life,  121. 

GAN'Y-MKDE.  Trojan  prince  carried 
off  by  Jupiter  to  act  as  cup-bearer, 

43- 
GE.    Same  as  Gtea,  Tellus,  Terra,  the 

Earth,  13. 
GEM'I-M.    Same  as  Dioscuri ;  Castor 

and  Pollux,  278. 
GE-RY'O-XKS.   Giant  whose  cattle  are 

taken   by    Hercules,  226;    signifi- 
cance, 401. 
( ii.\i  '(  K      Maiden  loved  1>\ 

shin  by  Medea,  273;   significance, 

392. 
GLAU'crs.      Fi-herman  changed  '<>  .1 

sea  god,  303,  304 ;   lover  of  Scylla, 

•352.  353- 


416 


GLOSSARY  AND  INDEX. 


GOLDEN    AGE.      First    age    of   the 

ancient  world,  when  all  was  bliss, 

35  ;  Janus'  reign,  205. 
GOR'GONS.    Three  sisters, —  Euryale, 

Stheno,     and     Medusa,    242-246; 

/Egis  decorated  by  head  of  one  of, 

58;   significance,  401. 
GRAC'CHI,  THE.     Unborn  souls  of 

Roman  heroes,  seen  by  Anchises  in 

Hades,  372. 
GRA'CES.    Same  as  Gratise;  the  three 

attendants  of  Venus,  105. 
GRA-DI'VUS.     Name  given  to  Mars 

when  leader  of  armies,  143. 
GR^'/E.     Three  sisters  with  but  one 

eye  and  tooth  among  them,  243 ; 

significance,  391,  401. 
GRA'TI-^.        Same    as    Graces,    or 

Charites ;   Venus'  attendants,  105. 
GREAT  BEAK.     Constellation  formed 

by  Callisto,  52. 
GRE'CI-AN.     Mythology,  25  ;  camp, 

329- 

GREECE.  Highest  peak  in,  37;  al- 
phabet introduced  into,  48;  nations 
of,  49 ;  art  in,  52  ;  Cecrops  comes 
to,  57;  Pelops  takes  refuge  in,  167; 
Paris  visits,  310;  war  between  Troy 
and,  314;  Orestes'  return  to,  336; 
captives  taken  to,  361. 

GREEK  DIVINITIES,  39;  Panathensea, 
60 ;  fleet,  332. 

GREEKS.  Departure  of,  315  ;  plague 
visits,  318  ;  defeat  of,  323,  324;  re- 
turn of,  335 ;  Agamemnon,  chief 
of,  336;  attack  Ciconians,  337; 
Polyphemus  visited  by,  343-346; 
Circe  visited  by,  347;  a  civilized 
nation,  380. 

GY'ES.  One  of  the  three  Centimani ; 
son  of  Uranus  and  Gaea,  18. 

HA'DES.  The  Infernal  Region,  king- 
dom of  Pluto,  159-170;  Hercules' 
visit  to,  65,  229,  230;  Orpheus' 
visit  to,  76-79;  Adonis'  visit  to, 
no;  Psyche's  visit  to,  128;  Mer- 
cury conducts  souls  to,  137,  317; 
Proserpina's  visit  to,  194,  195 ;  Lara 
conducted  to,  203;  Theseus' visit 
to,  260;  Pollux  in,  279;  CEdipus 
in,  286;  Ulysses'  visit  to,  350; 
/Eneas'  visit  to,  370. 

H^'MON.  Son  of  Creon;  lover  of 
Antigone,  288. 


HAL-CY'O-NE.  Wife  of  Ceyx,  King 
of  Thessaly,  211,  212. 

HAL-IRR-HO'THI-US.  Son  of  Nep- 
tune ;  slain  by  Mars,  139. 

HAM-A-DRY'A-DES.  Nymphs  who 
lived  and  died  with  the  trees  they 
inhabited,  297,  298. 

HAR-MO'NI-A.  Daughter  of  Mars 
and  Venus,  107,  140;  wife  of  Cad- 
mus, 48;  mother  of  Semele,  171. 

HAR'PIES.  Monsters,  half  woman, 
half  bird  ;  banished  to  Strophades 
Islands,  267;  /Eneas  sees,  365; 
significance,  400. 

HEAV'EN.  Creation  of,  15;  realm  of, 
25;  Atlas,  supporter  of,  244;  sig- 
nificance, 384,  398. 

HE'BE.  Goddess  of  youth;  cup- 
bearer of  the  gods,  41 ;  wife  of 
Hercules,  238. 

HE'BRUS.  River  in  which  the  Bac- 
chantes cast  Orpheus'  remains,  80. 

HEC'A-TE.  Name  given  to  Proser- 
pina as  Queen  of  Hades,  195. 

HEC'TOR.  Son  of  Priam  ;  leader  of 
Trojan  army,  320-326;  slain  by 
Achilles,  328 ;  Priam  buries,  329 ; 
shade  of,  360;  widow  of,  365. 

HEC'U-BA.  Wife  of  Priam  ;  mother 
of  Paris  and  Hector,  307,  310; 
Hector  seen  by,  328 ;  captivity  of, 
361. 

HEL'EN.  Daughter  of  Jupiter  and 
Leda;  wife  of  Menelaus;  kidnapped 
by  Paris,  310-312;  kidnapped  by 
Theseus,  260  •,  Paris  upbraided  by, 
320  ;  return  of,  335  ;  /Eneas  wishes 
to  slay,  361 ;  significance,  394. 

HEL'E-NUS.  King  of  Epirus,  whose 
slave  Andromache  became  after  the 
death  of  Hector,  365. 

HE-LI'A-DES.  Sisters  of  Phaeton  ; 
changed  into  trees,  87. 

HEL'I-CON.  Mountain  in  Greece, 
sacred  to  Apollo  and  Muses,  90,  149. 

HE'LI-OS.  Name  of  Apollo  as  god  of 
the  sun,  61,  72;  significance,  386, 

388,  395- 

HKL'LE.  Daughter  of  Atliamas  and 
Nephele;  drowned  in  the  Helles- 
pont, 265;  significance,  39 1, 392, 397. 

HEL'LEN.  Son  of  Deucalion;  an- 
cestor of  the  Hellenes,  38. 

HEI.-LE'NES.  Name  given  to  an- 
cient Greeks,  38. 


GLOSSARY  A.VD  INDEX. 


417 


HEL'LES-PONT.     Name  given  to  the  j 
strait    from    Helle,  265 ;     Leander 
swims  across  the,  111-117. 

HE-ME'RA  (Day).  One  of  the  fir^t 
divinities,  who  rules  with  /Ether 
(Light),  13,  17. 

HEPfWES-n'A.  Festivals  in  honor 
of  Hephcestus,  or  Vulcan,  148. 

HE-PH.^S'TUS.  Name  given  to  Vul- 
can, god  of  the  forge,  144 ;  signifi- 
cance, 399. 

HE'RA,  or  HE'RE.  Name  given  to 
Juno,  queen  of  heaven,  and  goddess 
of  the  atmosphere  and  of  marriage, 
51 ;  significance,  385. 

HER'A-CLES.  Same  as  Hercules;  son 
of  Jupiter  and  Alcmene,  216. 

HE-IMS' UM.  Town  dedicated  to  the 
service  of  Juno,  52. 

HER'CU-LES.  Same  as  Heracle>,  god 
of  all  athletic  games,  216-239; 
Prometheus  delivered  by,  28 ;  Ha- 
des visited  by,  65 ;  Hesione  de- 
livered by,  152;  Centaurs  defeated 
by,  260;  Argonautic  expedition 
joined  by,  266,  267 ;  arrows  of,  330 ; 
apparition  of,  331 ;  significance, 

379.  389.  390,  393.  395- 

HER'MES.  Same  a-^  Mercury,  mes- 
senger of  the  gods,  131 ;  signifi- 
cance, 399. 

HER-MI'<>-NE.  Same  as  Harmonia; 
daughter  of  Venus  and  Mars, 
107. 

HE'RO.  Maiden  loved  by  Leander, 
who  swam  the  Hellespont  to  visit 
her,  111-117. 

HE-SI'O-XE.  Daughter  of  Laomedon; 
rescued  from  sea  monster  by  Her- 
cules, 151,  152,  224. 

HES-PE'RI-A.  Ancient  name  of  Italy, 
so  called  by  yEneas,  23,  364. 

HES-PKR'I-DF.S.  Daughters  of  Hes- 
perus, guardians  of  golden  apples, 
226;  significance,  390. 

HES'PE-K'CS.  (Indof  the  WtM;  father 
of  the  Hesperides,  72,  226. 

HKS'TI-A.  Same  as  Vesta,  goddess 
of  the  family  hearth,  198;  signifi- 
cance, 399. 

HIM'E-RUS.      God  of   the  d 
love;  attendant  in  Venus'  numer- 
ous train,  106. 

HIP-PO-CRE'NE.  Fountain  created 
by  Pegasus,  294. 


HIP-PO-DA-MI'A.  Wife  of  Pirithous; 
almost  carried  oft"  by  the  Centaurs, 
260. 

Hli'-POi/Y-TE.  Queen  of  the  Ama- 
zons, 223,  224;  Theseus'  wife,  259. 

Hir-POJ.'Y-rrs.  Son  of-Theseusand 
Hipjjolyte,  259;  loved  by  Phaedra, 
262. 

HIP-POM'E-XK.S.  Sameas  Milanion; 
lover  of  Atalanta,  278. 

HOPE.  The  good  spirit  in  Pandora's 
box;  an  ancient  deity,  33-35. 

HO'R/E.  Collective  name  of  the  sea- 
sons; Venus'  attendants,  105. 

HORN  GATE.  Gate  leading  from  cave 
of  Somnus  to  outer  world,  2IO,  21 1. 

HOURS.  Attendants  of  Apollo,  85; 
attendants  of  Venus,  105. 

IIr.\i>REi>-H AXDEU,  the.  Same  as 
Centimani,  18. 

Hrp'xos.  Same  as  Somnus,  god  of 
sleep,  208. 

HY-A-CIN'IHI  s.  Youth  loved  by 
Apollo  and  Zephyrus ;  changed  to 
a  flower,  67. 

HV'URA.  Monster  serpent  slain  by 
Hercules  in  the  swamp  of  Lerna, 
220,  221  ;  significance.  4^0. 

HV-I;F.'IA.  Daughter  of  .-Ksculapius ; 
watched  over  health  of  man,  64. 

HY'LAS.  Youth  loved  by  Hercules ; 
stolen  by  the  water  nymphs,  267. 

HY'MKX.  God  of  marriage;  attend- 
ant of  Venus,  106. 

HY-MET'TUS.  Mountain  in  Attica,  90. 

HYP-ER-BO'RE-AX  M<>rxr\i\-.  The 
mountains  separating  the  land  of 
the  Hyperboreans  from  Thrace,  215. 

II  Y  P  -  E  R  -  no '  R  E  -  A  x  s.  People  north  of 
Oceanus,  a  virtuous  race,  16. 

HY-I-E'RI-OX.  The  Titan  who  had 
charge  of  the  sun  chariot,  17,  20,22. 

HYP-ERM-XES'TRA.  Daughter  of 
Danaus;  saves  her  husband,  166. 

I   \I''K    ir-.      One    of    the    Titans; 

father  of  Prometheus,  17,  2- 
I-\'ns.    Leech  consulted  by 

cures  .F.nea-  with  \Vnus"  aid,  376. 
I-  \' si-is.     Same  as  lasion  ;  father  of 

Atalanta,  275,  364. 

'.us;  fell  into 

the  Icarian  Sen,  253-255. 
I'n\.     Mountain  in  Crete,  and  near 

Troy  also,  21,  320. 


4i8 


GLOSSARY  AND  IXDEX. 


I'DAS.  A  mortal  befriended  by  Nep- 
tune; elopes  with  Marpessa,  155. 

IL'I-A.  I.  One  of  the  Titanides; 
daughter  of  Uranus  and  Gsea,  17. 
2.  Priestess  of  Vesta ;  wife  of  Mars  ; 
mother  of  Romulus  and  Remus, 

MO,  377- 
IL'I-AD.    Homer's  epic  poem  on  the 

Trojan  .war,  318,  321,  329. 
IL'I-UM.      Same    as    Troy,    whence 

comes  the  Iliad's  name,  317,  360, 

363,  370. 
IN'A-CHUS.  River  god  (father  of  lo), 

134,  I36- 

INFERNAL  REGIONS.  Judges  in  the, 
45;  Orpheus  visits,  76-79;  Adonis 
visits,  108;  Pluto's  realm,  159; 
Proserpina's  sojourn  in,  194; 
/Eneas  visits,  370. 

I'NO.  Same  as  Leucothea ;  second 
wife  of  Athamas ;  daughter  of 
Cadmus  and  Harmonia,  174,  265; 
significance,  392. 

I'o.  Maiden  loved  by  Jupiter; 
changed  into  a  heifer,  134-137;  sig- 
nificance, 385,  396. 

I-OB'A-TES.  King  of  Lycia;  recipi- 
ent of  the  sealed  letter  carried  by 
Bellerophon,  291-295. 

I-O-LA'US.  Friend  of  Hercules; 
helped  slay  the  Hydra,  220. 

I-OL'CUS.  Kingdom  of  /Eson  and 
Jason ;  usurped  by  Pelias,  263. 

I'o-LE.  Maiden  loved  by  Hercules, 
235,236;  significance,  390,  392. 

I'ON.  Grandson  of  Hellen;  ances- 
tor of  Ionian  race,  38. 

I-O'NI-AN  RACE.  Race  descended 
from  Ion,  grandson  of  Hellen, 

38. 

I-O'NI-AN  SEA.  Sea  west  of  Greece, 
named  after  lo,  136,  137. 

IPH-I-GE-NI'A.  Daughter  of  Aga- 
memnon; sacrificed  to  Diana,  315, 
316;  Orestes  finds,  336. 

I'Ris  (the  Rainbow).  Attendant  of 
Juno,  52,  329,  374. 

IRON  AGE.  Fourth  and  last  age  pre- 
vious to  the  Deluge,  36. 

ISLES  OF  THE  BLEST.  Islands  west 
of  Oceanus,  inhabited  by  the  virtu- 
ous dead,  1 6, 17;  Ulysses  searches 
for,  359. 

IS'MA-KUS.  Town  in  Thrace,  spoiled 
by  Ulysses,  337. 


IS-M  E'NE.  Daughter  of  CEdipus  and 
Jocasta,  285  ;  dies  of  grief,  290. 

ISTH'MI-AN  GAMKS.  Games  held  in 
honor  of  Neptune,  at  Corinth, 
every  four  years,  158. 

IT'A-LY.  Saturn  retires  to,  23 ;  Ce- 
res returns  to,  190;  Janus,  king 
of,  205. 

ITH'A-CA.  Ulysses'  island  kingdom, 
214,  312,  337;  Ulysses  arrives  in 
sight  of,  346;  Ulysses  returns  to, 
354,  355;  Telemachus  returns  to, 
357;  home  of  Penelope. 

I-U'LUS.  /Eneas'  son ;  /Eneas  saves, 
361 ;  Cupid  assumes  form  of,  367 ; 
stag  wounded  by,  373 ;  brave  de- 
fense by,  374. 

IVORY  GATE.  Gate  leading  from 
cave  of  Somnus  to  outer  world, 

2IO,   211. 

Ix-l'ON.  Criminal  in  Tartarus; 
bound  to  wheel  of  fire,  77,  169, 
260;  significance,  389. 

JA-NIC'U-LUM.  City  on  the  Tiber, 
founded  by  Janus,  205. 

JA'NUS.  God  of  all  beginnings,  of 
entrances,  gates,  etc.,  205-207; 
opening  of  temple  of,  373. 

JA'.NUS  QUAD'RI-FONS.  A  square 
temple  dedicated  to  Janus,  206. 

JA'SON.  Sonof^Eson;  captured  the 
golden  fleece,  263-2 74;  significance, 
392,  393. 

JO-CAS'TA.  Wife  of  Laius,28o;  mar- 
ries CEdipus,  her  son,  285 ;  com- 
mits suicide,  286 ;  significance,  392, 
393. 

JOVE.  Same  as  Jupiter,  39;  birth 
of,  20 ;  day  of,  207 ;  Leda  courted 
by,  311 ;  decree  of,  329. 

Ju'xo.  Birth  of,  22;  flight  of,  24; 
Jupiter's  wife,  44;  same  as  Hera, 
51-54;  jealousy  of,  61,  62,  135- 
137,  171,  172,  174,  203,216;  Mars, 
son  of,  138;  Vulcan,  son  of,  144; 
Tityus  insults,  169;  ^Eolus,  servant 
of,  213;  Hercules  persecuted  by, 
216-218,  219,  224;  Jason  carries, 
264;  Jason  aided  by,  266,  267; 
contest  of  Minerva  and  Venus  with, 
306-308;  Troy  destroyed  by,  362; 
^Eneas  persecuted  by,  364, 365, 369, 
373-3755  significance,  385,  389, 
400. 


GLOSSARY  AND  INDEX. 


419 


Ju'pl-TER.  Birth  of,  20;  supremacy 
of,  21  ;  giants  defeated  by,  22-24; 
kingdom  divided  by,  25  ;  Prome- 
theus punished  by,  28;  Mercury, 
messenger  of,  31,  134;  Deluge 
caused  by,  36 ;  same  as  Jove,  39- 
49;  Juno  courted  by,  51;  Mineiva 
borne  by,  55;  Latona  courted  by, 
61;  /Esculapius  slain  by,  64;  Am- 
phion.son  of,  80;  Phaeton  slain  by, 
87;  Muses, daughters  of, 88;  Venus, 
daughter  of,  103;  Graces,  daughters 
of,  105;  Venus  borrows  thunder- 
bolts of,  ill;  Mercury,  son  of, 
131;  lo  courted  by,  135,  136; 
Mars,  son  of,  138;  Vulcan,  son  of, 
144;  thunderbolts  of,  147, 155;  Nep- 
tune exiled  by,  151  ;  Semele  courted 
by,  171-174;  Ceres,  wife  of,  183; 
Hercules,  son  of,  216,  218;  games 
in  honor  of,  230,  239;  Hercules 
saved  by,  238 ;  Danae  courted  by, 
240,  241 ;  Helen,  daughter  of,  260, 
311;  Bellerophon  punished  by.  295; 
Thetis  loved  by,  305.  306 ;  Thetis 
seeks,  319;  interference  of,  320, 
362,  375  ;  Sarpedon,  son  of,  325  ; 
Apollo  appeased  by,  354;  signifi- 
cance, 381,  384,  385,  386,  388,  389, 
390,  394.  396-  398-400. 

JUS'TICE.  Same  as  Themis,  44; 
mother  of  seasons,  105. 

JU-TUR'NA.  Sister  and  charioteer  of 
Turnus,  376. 

JU-VEN'TAS.  Same  as  Hebe,  god- 
dess of  youth,  41. 

KA'KIA.  Goddess  of  vice;  tries  to 
mislead  Hercules,  218. 

LAB'Y-RINTH.  A  maze  in  Crete, 
constructed  by  Dxdalus  for  the 
Minotaur,  253-257. 

LAC-E-D/E-MO'NI-A.  Province  in  Pelo- 
ponnesus; capital  Sparta,  also  name 
of  Sparta,  312. 

LAC-E-D.E-MO'NI-ANS.  Inhabitants  of 
LacedfemonU,  or  Sparta,  212. 

LACH'E-SIS.  One  of  the  Fates; 
twists  the  thread  of  life,  165. 

LA' DON.  Dragon  which  guarded 
golden  apples  of  Hesperides,  226. 

LA-ER'TES.  Father  of  Ulysses,  315, 
345;  Penelope  weaves  his  shroud, 

357- 


L/ES-TRY-GO'M-A\S.  Cannibals  vis- 
ited by  Ulysses,  347. 

LA'IUS.  Father  of  (Edipus,  280;  slain 
by  him,  282  ;  significance,  392-394. 

LAM-PE'TIA.  One  of  the  Heliades, 
87;  guards  the  cattle  of  the  sun, 

353.  354- 
LA-OC'O-ON.     Trojan  priest ;  crushed 

to  death  by  two  serpents,  333-335. 
LA-OD-A-MI'A.     Wife  of  Protesilaus; 

dies  of  grief,  316,  317. 
LA-OM'E-DON.     King  of  Troy;  em- 
ploys Neptune  and  Apollo  to  build 

walls,  151,  152;  significance,  386. 
LAP'I-TH/E.      People  who  dwelt  in 

Thessaly  and  fought  the  Centaurs, 

230,  260;  Ixion,  king  of,  169;  Pi- 

rithous,  king  of,  259. 
LA'RA.     Wife  of  Mercury;  motherof 

the  two  Lares,  203. 
LA'RF.S.     Two  tutelary  divinities  of 

ancient    Roman   households,  203 ; 

saved  by  Anchises,  362. 
LAT'IN.     Names  of  days  in,  207. 
LAT'INS.      People   of   Latinus   and 

/Eneas,  377;  /Eneas  fights,  375. 
LA-TI'NUS.     King  of   Latium,  372; 

welcomes   and   then   wars   against 

^Eneas  373, 374,376;  /Eneas  makes 

peace  with,  377. 
LA'TI  UM.     Province  of  Italy,  ruled 

by  Latinus,  377;  .tfJneas  comes  to, 

372. 

LAT'MUS.  Mountain  in  AMa  Minor, 
where  Endymion  lies  asleep,  97; 
significance,  388,  392,  394. 

LA-TO'NA.  Same  as  Leto;  wife  of 
Jupiter:  mother  of  Apollo  and 
Diana,6l,62;  boast  of,93;  signifi- 
cance, 396. 

LAU'SUS.  Hero  slain  byyEnens  dur- 
ing wars  against  the  Rutules,  376. 

I.A-VIN'I-A.  Daughter  of  Latinus, 
372,373;  /Eneas'  second  wife,  376, 

LE-AN'DER.  Youth  of  Abydus; 
Hero's  lover,  who  swam  (he  Hel- 
lespont, 111-117. 

LE-AR'CHUS.  Son  of  Athamas  and 
lo;  slain  by  his  frenzied  father,  171. 

LK'DA.  Mother  of  Castor  and  Pol- 
lux, Helen  ind  ClyUvinnestra,  31 1  ; 
significance.  394. 

I.i.'i.Ai'S.  The  tireless  hunting  dog 
given  by  Pr>erN  !•>  (.Vph.dus,  70. 


420 


GLOSSARY  AND  INDEX. 


LEM'NOS.      Island    in   the    Grecian 

Archipelago;  Vulcan  landed  there, 

144 ;  Philoctetes  on,  330. 
LER'NA.     Marsh  where   the    Hydra 

lay  concealed,  220. 
LE'THE.        River     of    forgetfulness, 

which  separated  the  Elysian  Fields 

from  Hades,  161,  163,  208,  210. 
LE'TO.     Same  as  Latona;  mother  of 

Apollo  and  Diana,  61 ;  significance, 

386,  388,  392,  394. 
LEU-CO'THE-A.     Same  as  Ino,  Atha- 

mas'  wife;  sea  goddess,  174;  Ulys- 
ses rescued  by,  355. 
LI'BER.     Same  as    Bacchus,  god  of 

wine  and  revelry-,  1 74. 
LIB-ER-A'LI-A.    Festivals  in  honor  of 

Liber,   or    Bacchus,    held    in    the 

autumn,  182. 
LIB'Y-A.     Ancient   name   of  Africa ; 

coast  upon  which  yEneas   landed, 

48,  366. 
LI'CHAS.     Bearer     of     the     Nessus 

robe ;  slain  by  Hercules,  236-238. 
LIGHT.     Same  as  Either,  13. 
LIP'A-RI  ISLANDS.     Same  as  ^Eolian 

Islands,  where  Ulysses  landed,  213. 
LITTLE  BEAR.     Areas  changed  into 

the  constellation  of  the,  52. 
LO'TIS.      Nymph     changed    into    a 

lotus  blossom,   299. 
LO-TOPH'A-GI.     People  whose  food 

was  the  lotus ;  the  Lotus-eaters,  338. 
LOVE.     Same  as   Eros,  Cupid,  etc., 

13;  Psyche  courted  by,  124-127. 
LOVES.     Attendants  of  Venus,  148. 
LOWER  REGIONS.  Visited  by  yEneas, 

372. 

Lu'N^E.     Same  as  Diana,  207. 
LYC'I-A.       Land   ruled   by   lobates, 

who  sends  Bellerophon  to  slay  the 

Chimaera,  291,  295. 
LYC-O-ME'DES.       King    of   Scyros; 

treacherously  slays   Theseus,  262; 

shelters  Achilles,  314,  315. 
LY'CUS.     Antiope's  second  husband ; 

slain  by  AmphionandZethus, 80-82. 
LYD'I-A.     Kingdom  of  Midas,  in  Asia 

Minor,  177,  230. 
LYN'CEUS.      Husband   of  Hyperm- 

nestra,  who  spared  his  life,  166. 
LYN'CUS.    King  of  Scythia ;  changed 

into  a  lynx  by  Triptolemus,  196. 
LY'RA.      Orpheus'    lute;    placed  in 

heavens  as  a  constellation,  80. 


MA-CHA'ON.  Celebrated  leech ;  son  of 
^sculapius,  64;  Philoctetes  healed 

by»  331- 

MA'IA.  Goddess  of  the  plains; 
mother  of  Mercury,  131 ;  signifi- 
cance, 399. 

MA'NES.  Tutelary  divinities  of  Ro- 
man households,  with  the  Lares  and 
Penates,  203. 

MAR-PES'SA.  Daughter  of  Evenus  ; 
marries  Idas,  155. 

MARS.  Same  as  Ares;  son  of  Jupi- 
ter and  Juno,  52;  g°d  of  war,  138- 
143;  Venus  courted  by,  106-108; 
day  of,  207  ;  descendants  of,  377  ; 
significance,  400. 

MAR'SY-AS.  i.  Shepherd  who  enters 
into  competition  with  Apollo,  73,  74. 
2.  Name  of  river,  74. 

MAR'TI-US,  CAM'PUS.  Roman  exer- 
cising grounds,  143. 

MAT-RO-NA'LI-A.  Festivals  in  honor 
of  Juno,  in  Rome,  54. 

ME-DE'A.  Daughter  of  ^Eetes,  268, 
269;  wife  of  Jason,  271,  273,  274; 
wife  of  ^Egeus,  252,  253 ;  signifi- 
cance, 392. 

ME'DI-A.  Country  in  Asia  Minor, 
where  Medea  took  refuge,  253. 

MED-I-TER-RA'NE-AN.  Sea  dividing 
world  in  two,  15. 

ME-DU'SA.  Gorgon  slain  by  Perseus, 
whose  hair  was  turned  into  snakes, 
242-249;  Neptune  marries,  154; 
Pegasus,  offspring  of,  294;  signifi- 
cance, 391. 

ME-G/E'RA.  One  of  the  Furies,  Eu- 
menides,  or  Erinnyes,  163. 

MEG'A-RA.  First  wife  of  Hercules, 
whose  three  children  he  burns  in 
his  madness,  219;  significance,  390. 

ME-LE-A'GER.  Son  of  CEneus  and 
Althaea;  leader  of  Calydonian  Hunt, 
275,276;  significance,  392. 

ME'LI-AN  NYMPHS.  Nymphs  who 
nursed  Jupiter  in  infancy,  21. 

MEL-POM'E-NE.  One  of  the  Muses; 
presides  over  tragedy,  88. 

MEM'PHIS.  Town  in  Egypt,  founded 
by  Epaphus,  136. 

MEN-E-LA'US.  King  of  Sparta;  hus- 
band of  Helen  of  Troy,  310-314; 
Paris  fights,  320;  return  of,  335; 
Telemachus  visits,  357;  signifi- 
cance, 394. 


GLOSSARY  .l.\'/>   IXDEX. 


421 


MEN'E-TI-US.  One  of  the  four  sons 
of  lapetus  and  Clymene,  25. 

MF.N'TOR.  Name  assumed  by  Mi- 
nerva to  act  as  a  guide  for  Telema- 
chus,  357,  358. 

MER-CU-RA'LI-A.  Festivals  in  honor 
of  Mercury,  the  messenger  god,  137. 

MER'CU-RY.  Same  as  Hermes;  son 
of  Jupiter  and  Maia,  131-137;  Pan- 
dora guided  by,  29,  31;  Jupiter's 
ally,  43;  Adonis  guided  by,  108; 
Mars  delivered  by,  139;  Bacchus 
guarded  by,  1 74 ;  Proserpina  guided 
by,  195;  Lara  loved  by,  203;  day 
of,  207;  leader  of  dreams,  210; 
Perseus  helped  by,  243 ;  Pan,  son 
of,  300;  Protesilaus  guided  by,  317; 
Priam  led  by,  329;  Ulysses  aided 
by,  349, 354 ;  /Eneas  aided  by,  369 ; 
significance,  385,  386,  399,  400. 

MER'O-PE.  Daughter  of  CEnopion; 
promised  bride  of  Orion,  99. 

MET-A-NEI'RA.  Wife  of  Celeus,  king 
of  Eleusis ;  mother  of  Triptolemus, 
1 88. 

ME'TIS.  Daughter  of  Ocean  us;  gives 
a  potion  to  Cronus,  22. 

ME'TUS.  Attendant  of  Mars;  god 
of  war  and  strife,  138. 

ME-ZEN'TI-US.  Father  of  Lausus; 
slain  by  /Eneas,  376. 

Ml'OAS.  King  of  Lydia,  74,  75; 
changed  all  he  touched  to  gold,  177- 
179. 

MI-LA'XI-OX.  Same  as  Hippome- 
nes;  husband  of  Atalanta,  278. 

Ml'LO.  Island  where  statue  of  Ve- 
nus was  found,  130. 

MI-XER'VA.  Same  as  Athene,  god- 
dess of  wisdom;  daughter  of  Jupi- 
ter, 55-60  ;  man  given  soul  by,  27; 
flute  of,  73;  Vulcan  wooe>,  147; 
contest  of  \eptune  and,  152;  Me- 
dina punished  by,  242;  Perseus 
aided  by,  243;  gift  to,  249;  Argo 
built  by,  266  ;  Bellerophon  helped 
by,  292  ;  Juno  and  Venus  dispute 
with,  306-308;  Ulysses  aided  by, 
3=54-358;  significance,  395.  396. 

MIX-KR-VA'I.I-A.  Festivals  in  honor 
of  Minerva,  in  Rome. 

MI'NOS.  i.  King  of  Crete,  223; 
father  of  Ariadne  and  Phx-dra,  253, 
256.  2.  Son  of  Jupiter  and  Europa; 
judge  in  Hades,  45,  163. 


MI\'U-I  ACR.  Monster  which  Minos 
kept  in  the  Labyrinth,  253-257; 
significance,  391,  401. 

MNE-MOS'Y-NE.  A  Titanide,  17,  22; 
goddess  of  memory ;  wife  of  Ju- 
piter; mother  of  the  Muses,  88. 

MCE'R.*:.  The  Fates,  or  Parcae,  who 
spin,  twist,  and  cut  the  thread  of  life, 
165. 

MOR'PHEUS.  Prime  minister  of 
Somnus,  god  of  sleep,  208,  212. 

MORS.  Same  as  Thanatos,  god  of 
death,  208-212.  213. 

Mo--\<  it'i.rs.  Mountain  in  Lemnos, 
where  Vulcan  established  his  forge, 
144. 

MU-SAG'E-TES.  Apollo's  name  when 
he  led  the  choir  of  the  Muses, 
88. 

MU'SES,  THE  NINE.  Daughters  of 
Jupiter  and  Mnemosyne,  73-75, 
88-90;  mount  of  the,  294. 

MY-CE'X.*:.  Favorite  city  of  Juno, 
with  Sparta  and  Argos,  52;  Perseus 
exchanges  Argos  for,  249. 

MVR'MI-DOXS.  Achilles'  followers; 
led  by  Patroclus,  324,  325  ;  signifi- 
cance, 395. 

MYS'TER-IES.  Religious  rites  cele- 
brated in  honor  of  the  God  of 
Wine,  182. 

MYTHS.     Fabulous  tales,  378-401. 

NA-I'A-DES.     Fountain  nymphs  sub- 
ject to  Neptune,  297,  298. 
XA-I'  K'.K.       Valley     nymphs,     who 

looked  after  the  flocks  also,  297. 
NAR-CIS'SI/S.    Youth  loved  by  Echo ; 

enamored  with  his  own  image,  118- 

120. 
NAU-SIC'A-A.     Daughter  of  Alcinous 

and  Arete  ;  befriends  1 
NAX'OS.     Island  visited  by   I  he^eus 

and  Bacchus,  179,257;  significance, 

391. 
NEC'TAR.      Beverage  of   the  gods, 

poured  out  by  Hebe  and  Ganymede, 

41.84- 

NK'I.KI  s.     Son  of  Neptune  ;  brother 

c.f  IVli.is.  154. 
NK'MK.-\.      Kurest  in  dn-ece, 

tateil   by  a  lion  -lain  by   Hercules, 

220. 

.\K'\H-A\  G\MK>.  Games  in  honor 
of  Jupiter  and  Hercules,  239. 


422 


GLOSSARY  AND  INDEX. 


NK'ME-AN  LION.  Monster  slain  by 
Hercules,  220. 

NEM'E-SIS.  Goddess  of  vengeance, 
163;  pursues  Orestes,  336. 

NE-OP-TOL'E-MUS.  Same  as  Pyrrlms; 
Achilles'  son;  slays  Priam,  361. 

NEPH'E-LE.  Wife  of  Athamas; 
mother  of  Phryxus  and  Helle,  265  ; 
significance,  391,  397. 

NEP'TUNE.  Same  as  Poseidon,  god 
of  the  sea,  149-158 ;  son  of  Cronus, 
22  ;  kingdom  given  to,  25  ;  Deluge 
controlled  by,  36,  37;  horse  cre- 
ated by,  57;  Delos  created  by,  62; 
walls  built  by,  65  ;  Mars  punished 
by»  139  >  girl  protected  by,  197 ; 
Vesta  wooed  by,  198;  Minos  pun- 
ished by,  223  ;  Pegasus  created  by, 
244;  Hippolytus  slain  by,  262; 
Thetis  wooed  by,  305 ;  Trojans  pun- 
ished by,  332,  333;  Polyphemus, 
son  of,  339 ;  Ulysses'  men  slain  by, 
354,  355 ;  yEneas  saved  by,  366, 
370;  significance,  397,  400. 

NE-RE'I-DES.  Water  nymphs;  daugh- 
ters of  Nereus  and  Doris,  153, 155  ; 
significance,  397. 

NE'RE-US.  God  of  the  sea  ;  the  per- 
sonification of  its  pleasant  aspect, 
154,  226;  father  of  Thetis,  305; 
significance,  397. 

NES'SUS.  The  Centaur  who  carries 
Deianeira  across  the  river ;  slain  by 
Hercules, 234,235;  significance, 390. 

NES'TOR.  Greek  hero  during  Trojan 
war;  noted  for  wise  counsel,  275, 

3'4,  357- 
NI'CE.     Same  as  Victory ;  attendant 

of  Jupiter,  41. 
NIGHT.     Same  as  Nyx  or  Nox,  13, 

15,  57,  208. 
NIGHTMARES.    Attendants  of  Som- 

nus,  crouching  in  his  cave,  210. 
NI'O-BE.       Daughter     of    Tantalus, 

whose  children  are  slain  by  Apollo 

and  Diana,  93-96,  167;  significance, 

398. 
Nl'sus.      Youth    who    accompanies 

Euryalus  to  summon  ^Eneas  back 

to  camp,  374. 
NO'MAN.    Name  assumed  by  Ulysses 

to  mislead  Polyphemus,  343,  344. 
NO'TUS    or    AUSTER.       Southwest 

wind;    son  of  ^Eolus  and  Aurora, 

213-215. 


Nox.  Same  as  Nyx,  goddess  of  night ; 

marries  Chaos  and  Erebus,  13. 
NU'MA  POM-PII/I-US.      Second  king 

of  Rome ;  built  Vesta's  temple,  200. 
NYMPHS.      Name    given    to    female 

minor  divinities,  297. 
NY-SI'A-DES.      Nymphs   who   cared 

for  Bacchus,  and  form  a  constella- 
tion, 174. 
NYX.     Same    as    Nox,    goddess   of 

night ;   mother  of  Day  and  Light, 

13,  15,  17,  163. 

O-CE-AN'I-DES.  Daughters  of  Oce- 
anus;  nymphs  of  the  ocean,  25, 
103,  303;  significance,  397. 

O-CE'A-NUS.  i.  River  surrounding 
the  earth,  according  to  ancients,  15, 
16,229.  2-  One  of  the  Titans;  son 
of  Uranus  and  Gsea,  17,  20,  22,  25, 
149 ;  significance,  397. 

O-CRIS'I-A.  A  slave;  wife  of  Vulcan; 
mother  of  Servius  Tullius,  148. 

O-DYS'SEUS.  Same  as  Ulysses;  hero 
of  the  Odyssey,  337. 

OD'YS-SEY.  Epic  poem  of  Homer 
on  the  adventures  of  Ulysses,  337. 

CEo'i-PUS.  Son  of  Laius  and  Jocasta; 
King  of  Thebes,  280-290;  signifi- 
cance, 392,  393,  394. 

OZ'NEUS.  Father  of  Meleager  and 
Deianeira;  husband  of  Althaea,  232, 

275- 

OZ-No'NE.  Wife  of  Paris,  son  of 
Priam,  307,  308;  she  dies  on  his 
funeral  pyre,  331  ;  significance,  394. 

CE-No'Pl-oN.  Father  of  Merope; 
blinds  Orion,  99. 

OZ'TA.  Mountain  on  whose  sum- 
mit Hercules  builds  his  funeral  pyre, 
238. 

O-GYG'I-A.  Island  where  Calypso 
detains  Ulysses  seven  years,  354. 

O-LYM'PI-A.  City  in  Elis  noted  for 
its  temple  and  games,  49,  230,  239. 

O-LYM'PI-AD.  Time  between  Olym- 
pian Games ;  i.e  ,  four  years,  49. 

O-LYM'PI-AN  GAMES.  Games  insti- 
tuted by  Hercules  in  honor  of 
Jupiter,  49,  230. 

O-LYM'PUS.  Mountain  north  of 
Greece;  the  abode  of  the  gods,  15, 
17,  20,  21,  22,  28,  29,  39,  51,  55,  58, 
70,  76,  96,  106,  120,  128,  132,  135, 
153,  171,  240,  297,  373,  375;  gods 


GLOSSARY  A.\'I)   /.V/J/:A". 


4-'3 


fly  from,  24 ;  Prometheus  visits,  28 ; 
Ganymede  transported  to,  43  ;  Vul- 
can expelled  from,  144;  Ceres  vis- 
its, 194;  Bellerophon  storms,  295  ; 
Thetis  visits,  319;  significance,  384. 

OM'PHA-LE.  Queen  of  Lydia;  the 
taskmistress  of  Hercules,  230. 

O-XE-I-CO-POM'PUS.  Name  borne  by 
Mercury  as  conductor  of  dreams, 

131,  137- 
OPS.     Same  as  Cybele;  name  given 

to  Rhea,  and  also  to  Ceres,  20. 
O-RE'A-DES.    Mountain  nymphs  who 

guided  travelers,  297. 
O-RES'TES.     Son  of  Agamemnon  and 

Clytaemnaslra;    friend   of  Pylades, 

336- 
O-Rl'ox.    Youth  loved  by  Diana,  and 

accidentally  slain  by  her,  98-100. 
OR-I-THY'I-A.      Wife      of      Boreas; 

mother  of  Calais,  Zetus,  Cleopatra, 

and  Chione,  215. 
OR'PHEUS.     Musician;  son  of  Apollo 

and  Calliope,  75-80,  266 ;    signifi- 
cance, 387,  388. 
OS'SA.      Mountain  in  Thessaly,  upon 

which  the  Titans  piled  Pelion,  23. 
O'TUS.     Giant  son  of  Neptune;  slain 

by   Diana   and   Apollo,    139,   154; 

significance,  400. 

PAC-TO'LUS.  River  in  Asia  Minor 
in  which  Midas  washed,  to  remove 
his  golden  plague,  179.  _,. 

PA-L^'MOX.  Son  of  Athamas  and 
Ino;  changed  into  sea  god,  174. 

PAL-A-MK'DES.  Messenger  sent  to 
summon  Ulysses  to  war  against 
Troy,  312. 

PAL-I-NU'RUS.  yEneas'  pilot;  lost  at 
sea  off  Cape  Misenum,  370,  372. 

PAL-LA'DI-TM.  Statue  of  Minerva, 
60 ;  stolen  from  Troy  by  Ulysses 
and  Diomedes,  198,  332. 

PAI/I. \s  I.  Name  given  to  Minerva 
in  Athens,  27,  55,  57.  2.  Son  of 
Evander;  slain  by  Turnus  while 
fighting  for  .Kneas,  374,  375. 

P.M. 'LOR.  Special  attendant  of  Mar-;; 
lover  of  strife,  138. 

PAN.  Same  as  Consentes,  god  of 
nature  and  the  universe,  74,  127, 
300,  301 ;  significance,  40  >. 

PAN-ATH-K-N  K'A.  rV-tivuls  held  in 
honor  of  Minerva,  60. 


PAN-DO'RA.     First   woman;   created 

in  heaven,  she  brings  evil  into  the 

world,  29-35,  37- 
PAR'C.-E.  The  Fates,  or  Moerae;  they 

spin  the  thread  of  desliny,  165. 
PAR'IS.     Son  of  Priam  and  Hecuba, 

307;  judgment  of,  308;  visits  Troy, 

308,  310;  elopes  with  Helen,  312; 

duel  with  Menelaus,  320;  in  battle, 

323 ;  Achilles  slain  by,  330 ;  death 

of,  331  ;  significance,  394. 
PAR-XAS'SUS.     Mountain  in  Greece, 

37,  38;    sacred  to  Apollo  and  the 

Si  uses,  90. 
PAR-THE'XI-UM.       Mountain     upon 

which  Atalanta  was  exp  >sed,  275. 
PAR'THE-XOX.     Temple  dedicated  to 

Minerva  at  Athens,  60. 
PA-TRO'CLUS.     Friend  of  Achilles  ; 

slain  by  Hector,  324-328;   signifi- 
cance, 395. 
PEG'A-SUS.      Steed    born    from    the 

sea  foam  and  the  blood  of  Medusa, 

154,  244;  Bellerophon  rides,  292- 

296 ;  significance,  394,  397. 
PK'LKUS.    Husband  of  Thetis  ;  father 

of  Achilles,  266,  275,  305,  314. 
PE'U-AS.     Uncle  of  Jason  ;  brother 

of  Xeleus,  154;  usurps  the  throne  of 

,Eson,  263-266,  273. 
PE'LI-ON.       A    high     mountain     in 

Thessaly,  piled  upon  Ossa  by  the 

giants  to  reach  Olympus,  23,  266. 
PEI^O-POX-NE'SUS.     The    peninsula 

south  of  Greece,  49,  167. 
PE'LOPS.    Son  of  Tantalus  ;  gave  his 

name   to  the    Peloponnesus,    167; 

father  of  Copreus,  153;  significance, 

389- 

PK-NA'TES.  Household  gods  wor- 
shiped in  Rome  with  the  Lares, 
203,  204;  .Ene.i".  "Cave's  the,  362. 

PK-NEI.'O-PK.     i.    Wife  of   I 
312;    suitors   of,  357-359;   signifi- 
cance, 395.  2.  A  nymph,  the  mother 
of  Pan,  300. 

PX-NC'US.  I.  River  yo.1 ;  father  of 
Daphne;  changes  Daphne  into  a 
laurel.  2.  Name  of  a  river  in 
Greece,  68. 

PBN-THK-SI-LK'A.    oiu-en  of  Ama- 

;  ,1  lin  during  Trojan  war,  329. 
I'lN'imi^.      King  i'f   Tlu-U^;    tv- 
fuses   to   receive    Bacchus,   and   is 
slain,  181,  182. 


424 


GLOSSARY  AND  IXDEX. 


PER-I-PHE'TES.  Son  of  Vulcan,  148 ; 
encountered  and  slain  by  Theseus, 
251. 

PER-SEPH'O-NE.  Same  as  Proserpina, 
goddess  of  vegetation,  183, 187, 194. 

PER'SEUS.  Son  of  Jupiter  and  Danae ; 
slays  Medusa,  240-249 ;  signifi- 
cance, 390,  391,  393,  394,  395. 

PET'A-SUS.  Name  given  to  the 
winged  cap  worn  by  Mercury,  134. 

PH,E-A'CI-ANS.  People  who  dwelt  in 
Scheria,  and  sent  Ulysses  home, 
355  5  significance,  395. 

PH^E'DRA.  Daughter  of  Minos ;  wife 
of  Theseus,  262  ;  significance,  391. 

PHA'E-TON.  Son  of  Apollo  and 
Clymene;  drives  the  sun  car,  and 
is  slain,  83-88 ;  significance,  388, 

395- 
PHA-E-TU'SA.    Sister  of  Phaeton;  one 

of  the  Heliades,  87 ;  Apollo's  flocks 

guarded  by,  353. 
PHE-RE-PHAT'TA.      Name   given  to 

Persephone,  or  Proserpina,  183. 
PHID'I-AS.     Noted  Greek  sculptor; 

made,  statues  of  the  gods,  49,  60. 
PHI-LE'MON.      Husband  of  Baucis  ; 

changed  into  an  oak,  43,  44. 
PHIL-OC-TE'TES.  Friend  of  Hercules ; 

receives  his  arrows,  238,  330,  331. 
PHI-LON'O-E.     Daughter  of  lobates ; 

wife  of  Bellerophon,  292;    signifi- 
cance, 394. 
PHIN'E-US.  The  blind  king  of  Thrace; 

annoyed  by  the  Harpies,  248,  249, 

267. 
PHI.EG'E-THON.     One  of  the  rivers 

of  Hades;  a  river  of  fire,  161,  163, 

350. 
PHO'BOS.     One  of  the  attendants  of 

Mars,  god  of  war,  138. 
PHO'CIS.    Province  in  Greece,  bound- 
ed by  Doris,  Locri,  and  the  Gulf 

of  Corinth,  336. 
PHCE'BE.       One    of    the    Titanides, 

17,  20;  same  as  Diana,  93. 
PHCE'BUS,     Name   given  to  Apollo, 

god  of  the  sun    and   of  medicine, 

61,  67,  90,  94,  96,  318 ;  significance, 

386. 
PHCE-NIC'I-A.        Province     in    Asia 

Minor,  named   after   Phrenix,  47; 

significance,  386. 
PHCE'NIX.     Brother  of  Europa,  who 

gave  his  name  to  Phoenicia,  45,  47. 


PHRYX'US.  Son  of  Athamas  and 
Nephele;  rides  on  gold  en -fleeced 
ram  to  Colchis,  154,  265;  signifi- 
cance, 391,  397. 

Pl-RE'NE.  Fountain  near  Corinth, 
where  Pegasus  drinks,  294. 

PI-RITH'O-US.  King  of  the  Lapithae ; 
friend  of  Theseus,  259,  260,  275. 

PLE'IA-DES.  Seven  of  Diana's 
nymphs ;  pursued  by  Orion  and 
changed  into  stars,  98. 

PLU'TO.  Same  as  Hades,  Dis,  Aido- 
neus,  etc.,  159-170;  god  of  the 
Infernal  Regions,  25,  76,  77,  79, 
110,  208,  350  ;  birth  of,  22  ;  Proser- 
pina kidnapped  by,  183-187;  Are- 
thusa  sees,  193 ;  Ceres  visits,  195 ; 
Perseus  aided  by,  243;  Theseus 
punished  by,  260;  significance,  396, 
401. 

PLU'TUS.  Name  given  to  Pluto 
when  .invoked  as  god  of  wealth, 
159. 

POD-A-LIR'I-US.  Sonof^Esculapius; 
skilled  in  medicine,  64. 

PO-DAR'CES.  Same  as  Priam,  King 
of  Troy;  slain  by  Pyrrhus,  152. 

PO-LI'TES.  Last  of  Priam's  sons ; 
slain  at  his  feet  by  Pyrrhus,  361. 

POL'LUX.  Son  of  Jupiter  and  Leda; 
brother  of  Castor,  Helen,  and 
Clytsemnestra,  260,  266,  275,  278, 
279. 

POL'Y-BUS.  King  of  Corinth;  adopted 
CEdipus  when  forsaken  by  the  ser- 
vant, 280-282. 

POL-Y-DEC'TES.  King  of  Seriphus ; 
•sends  Perseus  in  quest  of  Medusa, 
242,  249. 

POL-Y-DO'RUS.  Trojan  youth,  mur- 
dered in  Thrace;  his  grave  discov- 
ered by  yEneas,  363. 

POL-Y-HYM'NI-A.  Muse  of  rhetoric; 
daughter  of  Jupiter  and  Mnemosyne, 
90. 

POL-Y-NI'CES.  Son  of  CEdipus,  285  ; 
slain  by  Eteocles,  287;  buried  by 
Antigone,  288. 

POL-Y-PHE'MUS.  Giant  son  of  Nep- 
tune, 154 ;  Ulysses  visits,  339~346; 
Galatea  loved  by,  341;  blinded  by 
Ulysses,  344;  Achemenides  escapes 
from,  365. 

PO-LYX'E-NA.  Daughter  of  Priam; 
affianced  wife  of  Achilles,  330. 


GLOSSARY  AXD   f.YDF.X. 


425 


PO-MO'NA.  Goddess  of  the  or- 
chards ;  wife  of  Verlumnus,  303. 

PON'TUS.  Name  given  to  the  sea 
when  first  created,  13,  15. 

Po-SEl'nox.  Same  as  Neptune,  god 
of  the  sea  and  of  horse  trainers,  149. 

PO'THOS.  God  of  the  amities  of  love ; 
one  of  the  numerous  attendants  of 
Venus,  106. 

I'RI'AM.  Same  as  Podarces,  152; 
King  of  Troy,  307;  Paris  received 
by,  310;  duel  witnessed  by,  320; 
Hector,  son  of,  325 ;  Hector's 
death  seen  by,  328;  Mercury  leads, 
329;  Polyxena,  daughter  of,  330; 
death  of,  335,  361. 

PRi-A'prs.  God  of  the  shade;  pur- 
sues the  nymph  Lotis,  299,  301. 

PRO'CKIS.  Wife  of  Cephalus  ;  slain 
by  his  unerring  javelin,  70,  71  ;  sig- 
nificance, 387,  389. 

PRO-CRUS'TES  (The  Stretcher).  En- 
countered and  slain  by  Theseus,252. 

I'KIE'TUS.  Husband  of  Anleia,  and 
kinsman  of  Bellerophon,  291,  292. 

PRO-ME'THEUS  (Forethought).  Son 
of  lapetus ;  man  created  by,  25 ; 
Olympus  visited  by,  27 ;  chained 
to  Caucasian  Mountains,  28;  Her- 
cules delivers,  28,  227;  Deucalion, 
son  of,  37;  significance.  379,  398. 

PRO-SKR'H-XA.  Same  as  Proser- 
pine and  Persephone  ;  goddess  of 
vegetation,  183-197;  Orpheu>  vis- 
its, 77;  Adonis  welcomed  by,  HO; 
Pluto  kidnaps,  1 59 ;  emblem  of 
death,  212;  significance,  396. 

PRO-TES-I-LA'US.  First  Greek  who 
landed  on  Trojan  coast,  316,  317. 

PRO'TEUS.  Inferior  sea  divinity; 
shepherd  of  the  deep,  156;  Mene- 
laus  consults, 336;  significance,  381. 

PSY'CHE.  Fair  princess  loved  by 
Cupid:  the  emblem  of  the  soul, 
121-130;  significance,  381. 

I'SY  CHO-POM'POS.  Name  given  to 
Mercury  as  leader  of  souls  to 
Hnde<, '131,  137. 

PYC.-MA'U-ON.  i.  Celebrated  sculp- 
tor, who  loves  a  statue,  120, 121.  2. 
Brother  of  Dido  ;  murderer  of  Sy- 
chieus,  Dido's  husband,  366. 

PYG'MIES.  Race  of  small  people  in 
Africa;  defended  by  Antoeus,  227, 
228. 

27 


PYL'A-DES.  Son  of  Strophius  ;  inti- 
mate friend  of  Orestes,  336. 

PYK'A-MUS.  Faithful  lover  of  Thisbe ; 
commits  suicide,  117,  118. 

PYR'RHA.  Wife  of  Deucalion  ;  the 
only  woman  who  survives  the  Flood, 
37,  38. 

PYR'RHUS.  Same  as  Neoptolemus ; 
son  of  Achilles,  361. 

PYTH'E-US.  Surname  given  to  Apol- 
lo as  python  slayer,  61,  65. 

PYTH'I-A.  Name  given  to  Apollo's 
priestess  at  Delphi,  91. 

PYTH'I  AN  GAMKS.  Games  cele- 
brated at  Delphi  every  three  years, 
91. 

PY'THON.  Serpent  born  of  the  Del- 
uge slime;  slain  by  Apollo,  65-67; 
significance,  387,  400. 

QUIN-QUA'TRI-A.  Festivals  in  honor 
of  the  goddess  Minerva,  60. 

QriR'i-.\AL.  One  of  the  seven  hills 
on  which  Rome  is  built,  142. 

QriR-i-NA'Ll-A.  Festivals  in  Rome 
in  honor  of  Quirinus,  142. 

QUI-RI'NUS.  Name  given  to  Romu- 
lus when  deified,  142. 

RE-GIL'LI:S.  Lake  in  Italy  where 
occurred  the  battle  in  which  the 
Dioscuri  were  supposed  to  assist, 
279. 

RK'MUS.  Son  of  Mars  and  Ilia; 
twin  brother  of  Romulus,  140-142, 

377- 
RHAD-A-MAN'THUS.     Son  of  Jupiter 

and  Europa;  judge  in  Hades,  45, 
163. 

RHE'A.  Female  Titan;  daughter  of 
Uranus  and  Gxa.,  17;  wife  of  Cro- 
nus, 18;  Jupiter  saved  by,  20;  Cory- 
bantes,  priests  of,  21;  Cronus  de- 
feated by,  22;  Juno,  daughter  of, 
51;  Pluto,  son  of,  159;  Ceres, 
daughter  of,  183;  Vesta,  daughter 
of,  198;  significance,  396. 

RHODES.  Island  in  the  Mediterra- 
nean, where  the  Colossus  stood, 
91. 

ROME.  City  founded  by  Romulus; 
it  comprises  seven  hill?,  142. 

ROM'T-LUS.  Son  of  Mars  and  Ilia; 
founder  of  Rome,  140,  142,  372, 
377- 


426 


GLOSSARY  AND  IXDEX. 


Rt:'TU-LES.  Nation  in  Italy  gov- 
e.ned  by  Turnus,  374,  375. 

SA  GIT-TA'RI-US.  The  constellation 
formed  by  Chiron,  the  Centaur 
who  taught  Hercules,  221. 

SA-LA'CI-A.  Same  as  Amphitrite ; 
wife  of  Neptune,  154. 

SA'LI-I.  Priests  appointed  to  watch 
the  sacred  shields  in  Rome,  143. 

SAL-MO'NEUS.  King  who  wished  to 
emulate  Jupiter,  168. 

SAR-PE'DON.  Son  of  Jupiter  and 
Europa,  45  ;  slain  during  the  Tro- 
jan war,  325. 

SAT' URN,  or  CRONUS.  Son  of  Uranus 
and  Gsea,  18;  father  of  Jupiter,  20; 
Italy  ruled  by,  23,  35;  husband  of 
Rhea,  25  ;  day  of,  207. 

SA'TYRS.  Male  divinities  of  the 
woods,  half  man,  half  goat,  300. 

SC/E'AN  GATE.  Gate  which  led  from 
Troy  to  the  plain,  321. 

SCI'RON.  Giant  encountered  by  The- 
seus on  the  Isthmus  of  Corinth, 
251,  252. 

SCYL'LA.  Sea  nymph  changed  to 
monster  by  Circe.  She  lived  under 
rock  of  same  name,  352,  353,  365. 

SCY'ROS.  Island  in  the  Archipelago, 
the  home  of  Lycomedes,  visited  by 
Achilles  and  Theseus,  262. 

SCYTH'I-A.  Country  north  of  the 
Euxine  Sea,  196. 

SEASONS.  The  four  daughters  of  Ju- 
piter and  Themis,  105. 

SEC'U-LAR  GAMES.  Games  in  honor 
of  Pluto  every  hundred  years, 
1 60. 

SE-LE'NE.  Name  given  to  Diana  as 
moon  goddess,  93;  significance,  388, 

389- 
SEM'E-LE.     Daughter    of    Cadmus; 

wife  of  Jupiter;  mother  of  Bacchus, 

171-174;   significance,  397. 
SE-RI'PHUS.      Island   where    Danae 

and  Perseus  were  cast  ashore,  242, 

249. 
SER'VI-US  TUL'LI-US.    Sixth  king  of 

Rome;  son  of  Vulcan  and  Ocrisia, 

148. 
SES'TUS.     City  opposite  Abydus;  the 

home  of  Hero,  in,  112,  116. 
SEVEN  WONDERS  OF  THE  WORLD, 

49,  91. 


SHEET-LIGHTNING.  Same  as  Arges, 
1 8. 

SIB'YL.  Prophetess  of  Cumse,  who 
led  yEneas  down  to  the  Infernal 
Regions,  370-372. 

SI-CA'NI-A.  Land  where  Anchises 
died;  visited  twice  by  yEneas,  365. 

Sic'l-LY.  Island  home  of  Polyphe- 
mus ;  visited  by  Arion,  82;  visited 
by  Proserpina,  183 ;  visited  by 
Ulysses,  339;  visited  by  yEneas, 

365»  37°- 

SI-LE'NUS.  Tutor  of  Bacchus  ;  gen- 
erally represented  on  an  ass,  174- 
177,300. 

SIL-VA'NUS.  God  of  the  woods;  one 
of  the  lesser  Roman  divinities,  301. 

SILVER  AGE.  Second  age  of  the  an- 
cient world,  35. 

SIL'VI-A.  Daughter  of  Latin  shep- 
herd ;  her  stag  was  wounded  by 
lulus,  373. 

SI'NIS  (The  Pine-bender).  Giant  en- 
countered and  slain  by  Theseus, 
251. 

SI'NON.  Greek  slave,  who  advised 
the  Trojans  to  secure  the  wooden 
horse,  332,  335. 

SIP'Y-LUS.  Mountain  where  stood 
the  statue  of  Niobe,  94. 

Sl'RENS.  Maidens  who  allured  mar- 
iners by  their  wondrous  songs, 
350-352 ;  significance,  397. 

SIR'I-US.  Favorite  dog  of  Orion;  a 
constellation,  98,  100. 

SIS'Y-PHUS.  King  condemned  to  roll 
a  rock  in  Tartarus  to  the  top  of  a 
steep  hill,  77,  167;  significance,  389. 

SOL.  Name  frequently  given  to 
Apollo  as  god  of  the  sun,  61. 

SOM'NUS.  God  of  sleep;  the  child 
of  Nox,  and  twin  brother  of  Mors, 
208-212. 

SPAR'TA.  Capital  of  Lacedaemon; 
favorite  city  of  Juno,  52 ;  home  of 
Menelaus,  310-312. 

SPHINX.  Riddle-giving  monster; 
slain  by  (Edipus.  283-285  ;  signifi- 
cance, 393,  401. 

STEL'LI-O.  Urchin  changed  to  lizard 
by  Ceres  when  searching  for  Pro- 
serpina, 197. 

STKR'O-PES  (Lightning).  One  of  the 
Cvclopes;  son  of  Uranus  and  Gsea, 
1 8. 


GLOSSARY  AXD  IXDEX. 


427 


STHE'XO.     One  of  the  three  Gorgon 

sisters,  immortal,  like  Euryale,  242. 
STROPH'A-DKS.     Islands   where   the 

Harpies  took  refuge  when  driven 

from  Thrace,   267;     ^Eneas    visits 

the,  364. 
STRO'PHI-US.       Father   of   Pylades; 

shelters  Orestes,  336. 
Si VM-PHA'I.US.     Lake   upon   whose 

banks    Hercules   slew  the   brazen- 
clawed  birds,  226. 
STYX.       River   in   Hades,  by  whose 

waters  the  gods  swore  their  most 

sacred  oaths,  43,  77,  84,  161,  172; 

Achilles  bathed  in  the,  314. 
ST-A-DK'I.A.     One  of  Venus'  train  of 

attendants ;  god  of  the  soft  speech 

of  love,  106. 
Sv-CH.T/rs.      King  of  Tyre;  husband 

of  Dido ;   murdered  by  Pygmalion, 

36,. 
SYM-PLEG'A-DES.       Floating     rocks 

safely  pnssed  by  the  Argo,  268. 
SY'RINX.      Nymph  lovsd  by  Pan,  and 

changed  into  reeds,  300,  301. 

T^EN'A-RUM,  or  T/EN'A-RUS.  The 
Greek  entrance  to  Hades  on  Cim- 
merian coast,  160,  229. 

TA-I.A'RI-A.  Mercury's  winged  san- 
dals, given  by  the  gods,  13.4. 

Tv'i.rs.  Brazen  giant;  sonofVulcan; 
the  watchman  of  Minos,  256,  257. 

TAN'TA-LUS.  Father  of  Pelops;  con- 
demned to  hunger  and  thirst  in 
Hades,  77,  93,  167;  significance, 

389.  39°- 

TAR'TA-RUS.  Abyss  under  the  earth, 
where  the  Titan-,  etc.,  were  con- 
fined, 17,  18,  22,  25;  Orpheus' 
music  heard  in,  77;  wicked  in,  161- 
169;  significance,  385,  391. 

TU'RIS.  Country  to  which  Diana 
brought  Iphigenia,  316;  visited  by 
Orestes,  336. 

TKI.'A-MON.  Husband  of  Hesione, 
the  daughter  of  Laomedon,  152. 

TK-I.KM'A-CHTS.       Son    of    Ul- 
and  Penelope,  312  ;  adventures  of, 
357,  358. 

TEI,-F.-I>HAS'SA.  Wife  of  Agenor; 
mother  of  Kuropa,47;  significance, 
386. 

TKI/I.US.  Same  a^  GAM;  name- 
given  to  Rhea,  13. 


TKN'E-DOS.  Island  off  the  coast  of 
Troy,  332,  335. 

TERP-SICH  <>-:<K.  Muse  of  dancing; 
daughter  of  Jupiter  and  Mnemosy- 
ne, 

TER'RA.  Same  as  Gx&,  goddess  of 
the  earth,  13. 

TEU'CF.R.  Ancient  king  of  the  Tro- 
jans, 364. 

THA-LI'A.  i.  One  of  the  three 
Graces;  daughter  of  Jupiter  and 
Eurynome,  105.  2.  One  of  the  nine 
Muses;  Muse  of  comedy,  88. 

THAN'A-TOS.  Same  as  Mors,  god  of 
death,  208. 

THEHES.  Capital  of  Boeotia;  founded 
by  Cadmus,  47,  48;  Amphion,  king 
of,  80-82 ;  Athamas,  king  of,  1 74; 
Pentheus,  king  of,  181;  (Edipus, 
king  of,  280-290. 

THF.'MIS.  One  of  the  six  female 
Titans,  17,22;  goddess  of  justice, 
44,  105,  107,  163. 

THE-OPH'A-NE.  Maiden  changed  by 
Neptune  into  a  sheep,  153. 

THE'SETS.  Son  of  /Egeus  and 
.Ethra;  hero  of  Athens,  179,  250- 
262, 266, 275  ;  significance,  391, 393. 

THES-MO-PHO'RI-A.  Festivals  in 
Greece  in  honor  of  Ceres,  196. 

TIIF.S'SA-I.Y.  A  province  of  Greece, 
311 ;  fight  of  the  gods  in,  23;  Ad- 
metus,  king  of,  64;  Ceyx,  king  of, 
21 1 ;  /Eson,  king  of,  263,  273;  I'r»- 
te-ilaus  of,  316. 

THE'TIS.   i.  Mother  of  Achillt 

a  sea  nymph,  20.  2.  One  of  the  Ti- 
tanides,  17;  marriage  feast  of,  305, 
306:  Olympus  visited  by,  319; 
Achilles  comforted  by,  325 ;  Achilles' 
armor  brought  by,  326-328 ;  Achil- 
les instructed  by,  329. 

TMIS'IIK.  Babylonian  maiden  loved 
by  Pyramus,  117,  118. 

TIIKAI  K.     Country  on  the  Bla 

the  home  of  M'ars,  138,  223,  267, 
363 ;  significance,  400. 

TllYk'sfs.  The  vine-encircled  w.md 
borne  by  the  followers  of  H.nhu-, 
182. 

TI'BF.R.    River  in  Italy.  200, 202, 205  ; 
-  -oil>  up  the.  363,  37-' 

Tl-KF.'si-\s.  Hie  blind  M-CI  vi-iit-d 
by  I  the  Cimmerian 

35°- 


428 


GLOSSARY  AA'D  INDEX. 


TI-SIPH'O-NE.       One    of   the    three 

Furies,  or  Eumenides,  163, 165,  174. 
TI-TAN'I-DES.      The    six    daughters 

of  Uranus  and  Gsea,  J  7. 
TI'TANS.      Name   given   to   the  six 

sons  of  Uranus  and  Gaea,  17,  18; 

revolt  of,  22,  23,  25 ;    significance, 

398. 
TI-THO'NUS.      Trojan    prince    who 

visited  Aurora,  90. 
TIT'Y-US.     Giant  in  Tartarus,  whose 

prostrate  body  covered  nine  acres, 

169. 

TRA-CHIN'I-A.      Land    where    Her- 
cules died,  216. 
TRI-NA'CRI-A.       Land     visited      by 

Ulysses,  whose  men  slay  the  cat- 
tle of  the  sun,  353,  354. 
TRIP-TOL'E-MUS.    Nursling  and  pro- 

te"ge  of  Ceres,  188,  196. 
TRI'TON.     Son  of  Neptune  and  Am- 

phitrite  ;  father  of  the  Tritons,  154; 

significance,  397. 
TRCE-ZE'NE.     Ancient  city  in  Argo- 

lis,  152;  birthplace  of  Theseus,  250, 

251 ;  significance,  391. 
TRO'JANS.   Inhabitants  of  Troy,  316- 

335.  3°°-376- 

TROY.  City  of  Asia  Minor,  ruled  by 
Laomedon  and  Priam ;  war  of,  305- 

336- 
TUC'CI-A.     Vestal  virgin  who  stood 

the  test  of  purity,  200. 
TUR'NUS.      Chief  of    the    Rutules ; 

wars  against  ^Eneas,  372-377. 
TUS'CANS.     People    of  Tuscania  in 

Italy,  governed  by  Evander ;  allies 

of  yfcneas,  374,  375. 
TYN-DA'RE-US.   Stepfather  of  Helen  ; 

binds  her  suitors  by  oath,  311. 
FY-PHCE'US.       Same     as     Typhon  ; 

monster  sent  to  dethrone  Jupiter, 

.23.  24. 
TYRE.     City  in   Phoenicia,  governed 

by  Sychseus  and  Dido,  366. 

U-LYS'SES.  Same  as  Odysseus,  hero 
of  the  Odyssey;  King  of  Ithaca, 
214,  312, 315,  330,  332  ;  adventures 
of.  337-359;  significance,  386,  395. 

U-RA'NI-A.       Muse   of   astronomv; 


daughter  of  Jupiter  and  Mnemos- 
yne, 88,  90. 

U'RA-NUS  (Heaven).  Husband  of 
Gaea,  created  by  her,  15,  17,  18; 
significance,  385. 

VE'NUS.  Same  as  Aphrodite,  god- 
dess of  beauty,  103-130;  day  of, 
207;  Hippomenes  aided  by,  278; 
Juno  and  Minerva  dispute  with, 
306-308 ;  Paris  advised  by,  310, 
312;  Paris  saved  by,  320;  ./Eneas, 
son  of,  360,  362,  366,  367,  370,  372, 
376 ;  significance,  389. 

VER-TUM'NUS.  God  of  the  orchards  ; 
loved  by  Pomona,  303. 

VES'TA.  Same  as  Hestia,  goddess 
of  fire  and  of  the  family  hearth, 
198-204;  birth  of,  22;  significance, 

399- 

VES-TA'LI-A.  Festivals  in  honor  of 
Vesta,  held  in  Rome,  202. 

VES'TALS.  Virgins  dedicated  to  the 
service  of  Vesta,  200-202, 377. 

VIC-TO'RI-A.  Same  as  Nice,  god- 
dess of  victory,  41. 

VOL'SCIANS.  Tribe  in  Italy  who  join 
the  Rutules  against  ./Eneas,  373, 
374,  376. 

VUL'CA.N.  Same  as  Hephaestus,  god 
of  the  forge,  144-148;  Jupiter's 
head  cleft  by,  55 ;  Venus,  wife  of, 
106,  107;  armor  made  by,  326, 
374;  significance,  399. 

VUL-CA-NA'LI-A.  Festivals  celebrated 
in  honor  of  Vulcan,  148. 

ZEPH'Y-RUS.  God  of  the  south 
wind ;  son  of  ^Eolus  and  Aurora, 
213;  Hyacinthus  slain  by,  67;  Ve- 
nus conducted  by,  105;  Psyche 
saved  by,  122,  128;  Flora,  wife  of, 
301. 

Zii'TES.  Son  of  Boreas  and  Orithyia ; 
took  part  in  Argonautic  expedition, 
and  drove  away  Harpies,  215. 

ZE'THUS.  Twin  brother  of  Amphion ; 
son  of  Jupiter  and  Antiope,  80-^2. 

ZEUS.  Same  as  Jupiter;  father  of 
the  gods,  39  ;  significance,  379,  385, 


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